radiosonde

noun

ra·​dio·​sonde ˈrā-dē-ō-ˌsänd How to pronounce radiosonde (audio)
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
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.
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

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of radiosonde was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near radiosonde

Cite this Entry

“Radiosonde.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radiosonde. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

radiosonde

noun
ra·​dio·​sonde ˈrād-ē-ō-ˌsänd How to pronounce radiosonde (audio)
: 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!