automatograph
|au-to-ma-to-graph|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtəˈmætəˌɡræf/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəˈmætəˌɡrɑːf/
self-writing recorder
Etymology
'automatograph' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'automatós' and 'graphē', where 'automatós' meant 'self-acting' and 'graphē' meant 'writing'.
'automatograph' changed from 19th-century French 'automatographe' and New Latin 'automatographus' and eventually became the modern English word 'automatograph' through scientific and technical usage.
Initially, it meant 'an instrument that writes automatically'; over time it evolved into the broader modern meaning 'an automatic device that records data'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an instrument or device that automatically records changes in a physical quantity (for example, pressure, temperature, or physiological signals); an automatic recorder.
The laboratory installed an automatograph to record continuous pressure changes during the experiment.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/27 00:08