tonometer

/tou'nɔmitə/

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Word: Tonometer

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: A tonometer is a special tool used to measure pressure or tension. Most commonly, it is used to check the pressure inside the eye, which helps doctors find out if someone has a condition called glaucoma.

Usage Instructions:

• Tonometers are mainly used in the field of medicine, especially in eye care.
• They can be used by eye doctors during eye exams.

Example Sentence:

• "During my eye exam, the doctor used a tonometer to measure the pressure in my eyes."

Advanced Usage:

• In a clinical setting, a tonometer provides valuable data to help diagnose and manage eye diseases.
• There are different types of tonometers, including applanation tonometers and non-contact tonometers, which use different methods to measure eye pressure.

Word Variants:

• Tonometrically (adverb): This relates to the measurement of pressure. Example: "The eye pressure was assessed tonometrically."
• Tonometrics (noun): The study or practice of measuring tension or pressure.

Different Meanings:

• While "tonometer" primarily refers to the instrument used in eye examinations, the prefix "tono-" can also relate to tension or tone in other scientific contexts.

Synonyms:

• Pressure gauge (in general contexts)
• Eye pressure gauge (specific to eye care)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs specifically associated with "tonometer." However, you might hear phrases like "keep an eye on" in a more general sense of monitoring health.

Summary:

A tonometer is an important tool in medicine used to measure eye pressure, helping to detect conditions like glaucoma.

Academic

Noun

1. measuring instrument for measuring tension or pressure (especially for measuring intraocular pressure in testing for glaucoma)