Etymology

oximeter

ox·i·met·er
O1X8I1M3E1T1E1R1

Today it means: A device that measures the quantity of oxygen in something, particularly air in the atmosphere. Full definition →

First used 1942
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The story

From oxi- (variant of oxy-) + -meter. The word was first applied in sense 2 (“a device that measures the oxygen saturation of arterial blood”) by American physiologist Glenn Allan Millikan (1906–1947).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1942 A device that measures the oxygen saturation of arterial blood.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.