Illustration of micrometer
- micrometer 2
mi·crom·e·ter
mī-ˈkrä-mə-tər 
1
: an instrument used with a telescope or microscope for measuring minute distances
2
: a caliper for making precise measurements that has a spindle moved by a finely threaded screw
mi·cro·me·ter
ˈmī-krō-ˌmē-tər
: a unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter
called also micron
see Metric System TableExamples of micrometer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
TIME, 5 Feb. 2024
This boost in size enables two atoms held several micrometers apart — perfectly feasible in optical traps — to interact.
—Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
Particles that are less than 10 micrometers and 2.5 micrometers in diameter are called PM10 and PM2.5, respectively.
—Kristi Tanner, Detroit Free Press, 18 Jan. 2024
The findings show that bottled water could contain up to 100 times more plastic particles than previously estimated, as earlier studies only accounted for microplastics, or pieces between 1 and 5,000 micrometers.
—Coco Liu, Fortune Well, 10 Jan. 2024
The team start with tiny silica spheres with a diameter of about 3 micrometers, less than than the width of a human hair.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024
Light that was ultraviolet gets stretched longer, so that the wavelength—about 1.5 to 2 micrometers—is now in the infrared, the part of the spectrum JWST is fine-tuned to measure.
—Popular Science, 19 July 2023
Microplastics — particles that range from 1 micrometer to 5 milimeters in size — have been documented in bottled and tap water for several years.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2024
These tiny particles, measuring less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter or roughly 4% of the width of a strand of hair, are small enough to be breathed deep into the lungs and can enter the bloodstream.
—NBC News, 8 June 2023
Noun
Among the smallest life forms inhabiting both fresh and marine water, phytoplankton can measure as little as one micrometer—or one millionth of a meter.
—TIME, 5 Feb. 2024
This boost in size enables two atoms held several micrometers apart — perfectly feasible in optical traps — to interact.
—Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
Particles that are less than 10 micrometers and 2.5 micrometers in diameter are called PM10 and PM2.5, respectively.
—Kristi Tanner, Detroit Free Press, 18 Jan. 2024
The findings show that bottled water could contain up to 100 times more plastic particles than previously estimated, as earlier studies only accounted for microplastics, or pieces between 1 and 5,000 micrometers.
—Coco Liu, Fortune Well, 10 Jan. 2024
The team start with tiny silica spheres with a diameter of about 3 micrometers, less than than the width of a human hair.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024
Light that was ultraviolet gets stretched longer, so that the wavelength—about 1.5 to 2 micrometers—is now in the infrared, the part of the spectrum JWST is fine-tuned to measure.
—Popular Science, 19 July 2023
Microplastics — particles that range from 1 micrometer to 5 milimeters in size — have been documented in bottled and tap water for several years.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2024
These tiny particles, measuring less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter or roughly 4% of the width of a strand of hair, are small enough to be breathed deep into the lungs and can enter the bloodstream.
—NBC News, 8 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'micrometer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near micrometer
Cite this Entry
“Micrometer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/micrometer. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
micrometer
1 of 2 noun
mi·crom·e·ter
mī-ˈkräm-ət-ər
1
: an instrument used with a telescope or microscope for measuring very small distances
micrometry
noun
-ˈkräm-ə-trē
micrometer
2 of 2 noun
mi·cro·me·ter
ˈmī-krō-ˌmēt-ər
: a unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter
Medical Definition
micrometer
1 of 2 noun
mi·crom·e·ter
mī-ˈkräm-ət-ər
: an instrument used with a telescope or microscope for measuring minute distances
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share