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radiosonde
noun
ra·dio·sonde
ˈrā-dē-ō-ˌsänd
plural radiosondes
: a miniature radio transmitter that is carried aloft (as by an unpiloted balloon) with instruments for sensing and broadcasting atmospheric conditions
Examples of radiosonde in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Each one carried an instrument package called a radiosonde, which measures temperature, location, humidity, wind direction and wind speed.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2024
How to launch a weather balloon The balloon launching operation was simple and low-tech, consisting of the balloon, a zip tie to seal the balloon's end, a plastic spool of string, a hose for the helium tank and the transmitting device, called a radiosonde.
—Jack Armstrong, The Arizona Republic, 1 July 2024
Schumann was motivated to improve radiosondes and weather balloons during a visit to a local meteorology museum.
—IEEE Spectrum, 19 July 2022
The radiosondes come equipped with mailing bags, so that they can be sent back to the N.O.A.A.’s National Reconditioning Center, in Missouri, and be reused.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2023
Sites like the SondeHub Tracker use a network of hundreds of receivers across the world to track radiosondes, which are the small devices attached to high-altitude balloons that take measurements and transmit back to the ground.
—Leah Vredenbregt, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2023
The radiosonde measures pressure, temperature and relative humidity during its flight.
—Leah Vredenbregt, ABC News, 13 Feb. 2023
Often enough, someone finds one of the National Weather Service’s radiosondes on the ground, along with its bright-orange parachute.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2023
These devices, called radiosondes, only weigh about a pound and often include instructions on how to mail them back to the Weather Service, if they’re found by a passerby.
—Hiawatha Bray, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Feb. 2023
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Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary
First Known Use
1932, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near radiosonde
Cite this Entry
“Radiosonde.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radiosonde. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
radiosonde
noun
ra·dio·sonde
ˈrād-ē-ō-ˌsänd
: a miniature radio transmitter that is carried aloft (as by a balloon) with instruments for sensing and broadcasting atmospheric conditions
More from Merriam-Webster on radiosonde
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about radiosonde
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