breathalyzer
|breath-a-lyz-er|
🇺🇸
/ˈbrɛθəˌlaɪzər/
🇬🇧
/ˈbrɛθəˌlaɪzə/
alcohol breath test
Etymology
'breathalyzer' originates from the combination of 'breath' and 'analyzer', where 'breath' refers to the air exhaled from the lungs and 'analyzer' refers to a device that examines or measures something.
'breathalyzer' was coined in the mid-20th century as a trademarked name for a device that analyzes breath to measure blood alcohol content.
Initially, it meant a specific brand of alcohol testing device, but over time it evolved into a generic term for any breath alcohol testing device.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a device used to measure the alcohol content in a person's breath, often used by law enforcement to determine if someone is driving under the influence.
The police officer asked him to take a breathalyzer test.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/07/02 15:27