radiosonde

noun

ra·​dio·​sonde ˈrā-dē-ō-ˌsänd How to pronounce radiosonde (audio)
plural radiosondes
: a miniature radio transmitter that is carried aloft (as by an unpiloted balloon) with instruments for sensing and broadcasting atmospheric conditions

Examples of radiosonde in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Schumann was motivated to improve radiosondes and weather balloons during a visit to a local meteorology museum. IEEE Spectrum, 19 July 2022 The radiosondes come equipped with mailing bags, so that they can be sent back to the N.O.A.A.’s National Reconditioning Center, in Missouri, and be reused. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2023 Sites like the SondeHub Tracker use a network of hundreds of receivers across the world to track radiosondes, which are the small devices attached to high-altitude balloons that take measurements and transmit back to the ground. Leah Vredenbregt, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2023 The radiosonde measures pressure, temperature and relative humidity during its flight. Leah Vredenbregt, ABC News, 13 Feb. 2023 Often enough, someone finds one of the National Weather Service’s radiosondes on the ground, along with its bright-orange parachute. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2023 These devices, called radiosondes, only weigh about a pound and often include instructions on how to mail them back to the Weather Service, if they’re found by a passerby. Hiawatha Bray, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Feb. 2023 Usually, a complex device inside them, called a radiosonde, parachutes down to Earth. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2023 The scientific instrument — called a radiosonde — that ascends attached to a weather balloon parachutes back to the ground once the mission is complete, according to the National Weather Service. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 14 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'radiosonde.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of radiosonde was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near radiosonde

Cite this Entry

“Radiosonde.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radiosonde. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

radiosonde

noun
ra·​dio·​sonde ˈrād-ē-ō-ˌsänd How to pronounce radiosonde (audio)
: a miniature radio transmitter that is carried aloft (as by a balloon) with instruments for sensing and broadcasting atmospheric conditions

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