diffractometer

noun

dif·​frac·​tom·​e·​ter di-ˌfrak-ˈtä-mə-tər How to pronounce diffractometer (audio)
: an instrument for analyzing the structure of a usually crystalline substance from the scattering pattern produced when a beam of radiation or particles (such as X-rays or neutrons) strikes it
diffractometric adjective
diffractometry noun

Examples of diffractometer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
That spectrometer, the prototype of today's x-ray diffractometers, is still housed in the Royal Institution, as well as their model of the atomic structure of rock salt. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 Dec. 2023 When Elizabeth Sooby, a nuclear materials physicist and assistant professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, finally re-entered her lab after months away, the X-ray diffractometer was leaning ineffectually on its table. Alia Malik, ExpressNews.com, 8 June 2020

Word History

Etymology

diffract + -o- + -meter

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of diffractometer was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near diffractometer

Cite this Entry

“Diffractometer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diffractometer. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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