Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An instrument used to measure acceleration.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An instrument for measuring the force required to start a train and keep it going and the centrifugal force when the train rounds a curve.
  • noun An apparatus for showing by direct registry the law of the movement, in the function of time, of a piston subjected to the action of powder gases.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An apparatus for measuring the velocity imparted by gunpowder.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An instrument for measuring acceleration
  • noun An instrument made for detecting and measuring vibrations.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an instrument for measuring the acceleration of aircraft or rockets

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[acceler(ation) + –meter.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

accelerate +‎ -meter

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Examples

  • Q3: Do you think an accelerometer is necessary on a mobile phone?

    Touch panels: screen and soft keyboard sources of worry 2009

  • All the best features of the N95 model camera are there; the 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss designed Optics, glass lens and DVD-quality video, now enhanced by a dual-LED flash and built in accelerometer, which automatically switches the image to widescreen depending on how the phone is held.

    5 Megapixel Camera. On Your N96 | Lifehacker Australia 2008

  • The unofficial iPhone version of Super Mario Bros. can now be controlled with the device's built-in accelerometer with the latest release (v. 2.3.0) of the popular Nintendo Entertainment System emulator, NES. app.

    Past Tech Trends & Products: Technology Live Archive 2008

  • The unofficial iPhone version of Super Mario Bros. can now be controlled with the device's built-in accelerometer with the latest release (v. 2.3.0) of the popular Nintendo Entertainment System emulator, NES. app.

    NES emulator now work with iPhone accelerometer 2008

  • While these games have been available for the iPod Classic and iPod nano, these new versions offer high-resolution graphics and three different ways to control the action: the virtual d-pad, touch-screen or by using the built-in accelerometer by tilting the device in a given direction.

    Games flood the AppStore on opening day 2008

  • Today, free software called ShakerRacer that lets you use a mobile phone with a built-in accelerometer to control toy cars.

    007's gadgets no longer just fiction ewillett 2008

  • Programs can be controlled with different sequences of knocks, thanks to an ordinary laptop's built-in accelerometer and some cunning software

    King Solomon's Wings 2006

  • If you flip it around so that click wheel is now at the top and facing you, Nano’s built-in accelerometer ensures that your video will still be captured right side up.

    New iPod Nano: Tiny package, big features 2009

  • The accelerometer is able to pick up these waves and sense the balance of the body and the changes in the runner’s gait, such as the length of strides and the frequency of steps.

    Improving Athletic Performance | Impact Lab 2007

  • There was a wooden swing with a built in accelerometer.

    Object-Oriented Objects at N.Y.U. - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com 2007

Comments

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  • New-fangled pedometers have accelerometers inside them. They demonstrate more accurate step-counting than the older-style ones that use a pendulum.

    /trivia

    October 29, 2009