Definition of "galvanometer" []

• An instrument used to detect, measure, and determine the direction of small electric currents by means of mechanical effects produced by a current-carrying coil in a magnetic field. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "In electrocardiography the string galvanometer is the most reliable tool."
• "Nowadays, since a string galvanometer is available in almost any large hospital, this detail is only of historical importance."
• "If a wire or a nail or a smaller thing is driven through it, and the insulation is spoiled, an instrument called the galvanometer instantly records the fact, and warning is given at all parts of the ship."