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Definition of "goniometer" [go•ni•om•e•ter]

  • An optical instrument for measuring crystal angles, as between crystal faces. (noun)
  • A radio receiver and directional antenna used as a system to determine the angular direction of incoming radio signals. (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.

Use "goniometer" in a sentence
  • "MN This is a goniometer or instrument for measuring angles; it was a precision instrument, lightweight and easy to transport, and was used at sea to measure distances by angle and the height of heavenly bodies, which permitted the observer to determine his position."
  • "He'd take sightings with compass, goniometer, and plumb bob."
  • "As a measure of the high precision achieved by Siegbahn's spectrographs (which are held at a constant temperature and read, in tenths of seconds, by means of two microscopes mounted diametrically opposite one another on a precision goniometer) may be mentioned the fact that his energy-level values, arrived at thirty years ago, still serve for many purposes."