noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/fəˈtɑmɪtɚ/
General-American:/ˈfoʊtoʊˌmitɚ/
Received-Pronunciation:/fəˈtɒmɪtə(ɹ)/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfəʊtəʊˌmiːtə(ɹ)/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɒmɪtə(ɹ)
rhymes with -iːtə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:F AH0 T AA1 M IH0 T ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any of several instruments used to measure various aspects of the intensity of light.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bheh2- Proto-Indo-European *bhéh2os Proto-Hellenic *pháwos Ancient Greek φᾰ́ος (phắos) Ancient Greek φῶς (phôs) Ancient Greek φωτο- (phōto-)der. English photo- Proto-Indo-European *meh1- Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-trom Proto-Hellenic *-tron Ancient Greek -τρον (-tron) Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron)lbor. French -mètrebor. English -meter English photometer From photo- + -meter.
Across languages
Translations
25 source translations are retained for this English entry.