storm-glass
Definition
Noun: - A storm-glass is a type of weather-predicting device, typically consisting of a sealed glass tube containing a mixture of chemicals (such as camphor, potassium nitrate, and ethanol) that changes appearance (e.g., crystal formation or cloudiness) in response to atmospheric pressure and temperature, historically used to forecast storms.
Usage Examples
- (The device was used to predict storms before modern meteorology.)
- (The changes in the liquid's appearance indicated a shift in atmospheric conditions.)
Advanced Usage
- "to read a storm-glass": to interpret the visual changes in the liquid (e.g., crystals, clouds, or clarity) as signs of upcoming weather.
- He carefully read the storm-glass and predicted rain by evening. (He analyzed the liquid's appearance to forecast the weather.)
Variants and Related Words
- Storm-glass is a compound word; no common variants exist. It is sometimes written as storm glass (without a hyphen) in informal usage.
- She bought a decorative storm glass as a gift for her weather enthusiast friend. (The device is also known as a storm glass.)
Synonyms
- Weather glass: a general term for any device that indicates changes in the weather.
- Baroscope: an instrument that shows changes in atmospheric pressure (though not identical to a storm-glass).
Related Idioms
- "a storm in a teacup": a great deal of fuss over a small problem (not directly related to the word's meaning but uses "storm").
- His complaint about the storm-glass was a storm in a teacup; it worked perfectly. (He made a big deal about a minor issue.)