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Where does “micrometer” come from?

Micrometer derives from French micromètre, combining the Greek prefix μικρο- (mikro-, "small") with μέτρον (metron, "measure"), denoting an instrument for measuring minute distances or thicknesses.

micrometer (English): An SI/MKS unit of measure, the length of one...

Definitions

  1. An SI/MKS unit of measure, the length of one...

Ancestry of “micrometer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmeterA device that measures things; A parking meter or...
2Frenchmètremetre/meter; first-person singular present...
3Latinmetruma measure
4Ancient Greekμέτρονsomething used to measure: measure, rule, weight;...
5Ancient Greek-τρονForms instrument nouns
6Proto-Hellenic-tronForms instrument nouns from verb stems
7Proto-Indo-European-tromForms nouns denoting a tool or instrument
8Proto-Indo-European-tḗrDerives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...

Words derived from “micrometer”

  • submicrometer
  • radiomicrometer
  • ultramicrometer
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr →