oscilloscope
noun
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In Latin oscillare means "to swing", and our word oscillation usually means "vibration" or "variation", especially in a changing flow of electricity. The oscilloscope basically draws a graph of an electrical signal. Since all kinds of physical phenomena can be converted into an electric voltage, oscilloscopes can be used to measure such things as sound, light, and heat. So an oscilloscope can analyze how one clarinet's sound is different from another's, or how one bulb's light differs from another's. Auto mechanics use oscilloscopes to measure engine vibrations; doctors use them to measure brain waves. Audio technicians use oscilloscopes to diagnose problems in audio equipment; TV and radio technicians use them to diagnose TV and radio problems. But oscilloscopes are most essential today to high-tech electronics experimentation.
Examples of oscilloscope in a Sentence
Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 3 Sep. 2024
To really make an identification requires an oscilloscope, a scientific instrument that graphically shows the intensity of sound, measuring frequency, wavelength and amplitude.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024
Not only that, but the new method removes the biggest barrier holding back previously existing methods from exploiting side channels: the need to have instruments such as an oscilloscope, electric probes, or other objects touching or being in proximity to the device being attacked.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 13 June 2023
With an oscilloscope, the game lacks a certain visual élan, with the fuel and altitude readings displayed as two horizontal lines.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Dec. 2023
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Cite this Entry
“Oscilloscope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oscilloscope. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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oscilloscope
noun
Medical Definition
oscilloscope
noun
called also cathode-ray oscilloscope
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