Meanings
plural breathalyzers · alternative UK breathalyser
- A device that measures alcohol in expired air so as to estimate the concentration of alcohol in a person's blood; used by traffic police in cases of suspected driving while under the influence of alcohol.
During the three day class we took one day of classroom study followed by one day of operating the breathalyzer and one day of drinking. Yes, I said drinking. […] I hated it but I got it down long enough to take the breathalyzer test. I blew a .11 on the model 900A Breathalyzer.
2012, G. Douglas Ward, Memories of a Small-Town Cop, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 73
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna device that measures chemicals (especially the alcohol content) in a person's expired breath
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Blend of breath + analyzer. Originally a trademark of Smith & Wesson. Equivalent to breathalyze + -er.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque alkoholimetro
- alkoholimetroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
Catalan alcoholímetre
- alcoholímetrea device that measures alcohol in expired air
Chinese Mandarin 酒精測定器 /酒精测定器, 酒精檢測儀 /酒精检测仪
- 酒精測定器 /酒精测定器 (jiǔjīng cèdìngqì)a device that measures alcohol in expired air
- 酒精檢測儀 /酒精检测仪 (jiǔjīng jiǎncèyí)a device that measures alcohol in expired air
Czech foukací balónek, alkohol test
- foukací balóneka device that measures alcohol in expired air
- alkohol testa device that measures alcohol in expired air
Finnish alkometri
- alkometria device that measures alcohol in expired air
French éthylotest, éthylomètre
- éthylotesta device that measures alcohol in expired air
- éthylomètrea device that measures alcohol in expired air
- alcootesta device that measures alcohol in expired air
German Blasrohr, Alkoholtester
- Blasrohra device that measures alcohol in expired air
- Alkoholtestera device that measures alcohol in expired air
Hebrew יַנְשׁוּף
- יַנְשׁוּף (yanshúf)a device that measures alcohol in expired air
Italian etilometro
- etilometroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
Japanese アルコールチェッカー, アルコール検査器
- アルコールチェッカー (arukōru chekkā)a device that measures alcohol in expired air
- アルコール検査器 (arukōru kensaki)a device that measures alcohol in expired air
- アルコール検知器 (arukōru kenshutsuki)a device that measures alcohol in expired air
Korean 음주측정기
- 음주측정기 (eumjucheukjeonggi)a device that measures alcohol in expired air
Polish alkomat, balonik
- alkomata device that measures alcohol in expired air
- balonika device that measures alcohol in expired air
Portuguese etilómetro, etilômetro
- etilómetroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
- etilômetroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
- alcoolímetroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
- alcoolómetroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
- alcoolômetroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
- bafómetroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
- bafômetroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
- balãoa device that measures alcohol in expired air
Russian алкотестер
- алкотестер (alkotester)a device that measures alcohol in expired air
Spanish alcoholímetro, alcotest
- alcoholímetroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
- alcotesta device that measures alcohol in expired air
- borrachómetroa device that measures alcohol in expired air
Turkish alkolmetre
- alkolmetrea device that measures alcohol in expired air
Cite this entry
breathalyzer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breathalyzer
“breathalyzer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breathalyzer. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “breathalyzer,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breathalyzer.
Source: breathalyzer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.