1. An optical instrument that uses the interference of light waves to make precise measurements of distances, wavelengths, or other physical quantities.
Usage: technical; physics

Examples

• The physicist used an interferometer to measure the wavelength of the laser light.
• Interferometers are essential tools in modern astronomy for detecting gravitational waves.
• The precision of the interferometer allowed researchers to detect minute changes in distance.
• Michelson interferometers are commonly used in laboratory experiments to study light properties.
• Gravitational wave detectors rely on laser interferometers to sense tiny disturbances in spacetime.