richter
n. countable B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɹɪktɝ// richter
n. a scale used to measure how strong an earthquake is. It uses numbers to show the amount of energy released by the ground.
n. a logarithmic scale used to quantify the magnitude of an earthquake based on seismic waves. Often used with 'on' to specify the intensity level.
The earthquake measured 6.5 on the Richter scale.
Geologists reported that the tremor reached a 4.2 on the Richter scale, causing minor damage to older buildings.
Because the Richter scale is logarithmic, an increase of one whole number represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude and roughly thirty-one times more energy release.
Borrowed from German Richter.
Usage
Usually appears in the phrase 'the Richter scale' or 'on the Richter scale'.