accelerograph
n. countablen. a special tool used to measure how fast something is speeding up or slowing down. It is often used in science to study earthquakes or in the military to track movement.
n. an instrument designed to record the rate of change of velocity, specifically acceleration, over time. Often used in seismology to measure ground motion or in ballistics to monitor projectile performance.
The scientist used an accelerograph to record the earthquake.
Engineers installed an accelerograph on the bridge to monitor structural vibrations during high winds and heavy traffic.
Modern seismic accelerographs provide high-resolution data that allows researchers to distinguish between the primary and secondary waves of an earthquake, improving early warning systems significantly.
From accelero- + -graph.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated June 4, 2026