Definitions

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

  • noun An instrument used to measure the rotations per minute of a rotating shaft.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An instrument for measuring velocity.

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

  • noun An instrument for measuring the velocity, or indicating changes in the velocity, of a moving body or substance.
  • noun An instrument for measuring the velocity of running water in a river or canal, consisting of a wheel with inclined vanes, which is turned by the current. The rotations of the wheel are recorded by clockwork.
  • noun An instrument for showing at any moment the speed of a revolving shaft, consisting of a delicate revolving conical pendulum which is driven by the shaft, and the action of which by change of speed moves a pointer which indicates the speed on a graduated dial.
  • noun (Physiol.) An instrument for measuring the velocity of the blood; a hæmatachometer.

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

  • noun A device for measuring the revolutions per minute (RPMs) of a revolving shaft, as with the driveshaft of an automobile.
  • noun A device for measuring or indicating velocity or speed, as of blood, a river, a machine, etc.

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

  • noun measuring instrument for indicating speed of rotation

Etymologies

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

[Greek takhos, speed + –meter.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Greek tachy-, 'fast' + -meter

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word tachometer.

Examples

  • To wit: The tachometer is the size of a wristwatch tucked into the left corner behind the steering wheel you can switch the display on the LCD screen, while the option for connecting to an iPhone takes prime and primary placement in the center console screen.

    Forbes.com: News Hannah Elliott 2011

  • Now, there's a reason that, for about as long as we've had motorcars, a tachometer has been a round face with a needle: it works beautifully.

    Ars Technica Jonathan M. Gitlin 2010

  • Now, there's a reason that, for about as long as we've had motorcars, a tachometer has been a round face with a needle: it works beautifully.

    Ars Technica Jonathan M. Gitlin 2010

  • The tachometer is a logical choice, but I have a better idea: tap into pin #34 of the EEC-IV computer so the lights run off fuel flow calculations.

    The Truth About Cars 2009

  • Among its features: a solid stainless casing treated with a film of ionized ceramic and metal that creates a slick, impervious surface; quartz movement with a 12-hour chronograph function; date display; tachometer (it can measure speed over a known distance) and really bright luminous hands and numerals.

    Gear Review: Wenger Swiss Raid Commando Watch 2010

  • What I can vouch for, after wearing this last deer season in woods from Saskatchewan to New York, is that the chronograph works, the date display works, the tachometer works, and the thing keeps time as only a Swiss watch can.

    Gear Review: Wenger Swiss Raid Commando Watch 2010

  • The digital instrumentation panel on the dash features a speedometer, tachometer, odometer, two trip meters, and hour meter, fuel gauge, clock, and service indicators.

    Quad 2009 ATV Buyers Guide 2009

  • The one on the left presents vehicle information, such as miles traveled, and allows you to customize some of the gauges so that, for instance, you can finally banish that tachometer you never use in favor of, say, a digital readout on gas-mileage efficiency.

    Ford Drives Digital Dashboards to Next Level Walter S. Mossberg 2010

  • But what most flabbergasted me was the instrument panel — the speedometer, the tachometer, the fuel and temperature gauges.

    Driving Like the Other Half Ralph Gardner Jr. 2010

  • My foot mashed the accelerator to the floor and I caught sight of the tachometer needle in my peripheral vision arcing up, higher and higher.

    Redline Deadline Charlie Cole 2011

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.