reaumur scale: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareTechnical/Historical
Quick answer
What does “reaumur scale” mean?
A historical temperature scale where water freezes at 0° and boils at 80° under standard atmospheric pressure.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A historical temperature scale where water freezes at 0° and boils at 80° under standard atmospheric pressure.
A temperature measurement system named after René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur, once used in parts of Europe for scientific and industrial applications but now largely obsolete, surviving primarily in historical or specialized scientific contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant variation in meaning. The diacritic (accent) on 'Réaumur' is sometimes omitted in both varieties, but retained in formal/academic contexts. The term is equally rare in both regions.
Connotations
Historical, scientific, antiquated, European.
Frequency
Extremely low and limited to historical texts, metrology, or specific scientific history discussions. Slightly more likely to be encountered in UK texts referencing European history, but the difference is negligible.
Grammar
How to Use “reaumur scale” in a Sentence
[temperature] [be] [number] ° [on the] Réaumur scaleconvert [from/to] the Réaumur scaleVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “reaumur scale” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The Réaumur-scale reading was recorded in the 18th-century logbook.
- He studied Réaumur-scale thermometry.
American English
- The Réaumur-scale measurement was compared to Fahrenheit.
- It was a Réaumur-scale instrument.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in historical studies of science, metrology, or temperature physics when discussing pre-modern systems. Highly specialized.
Everyday
Not used in everyday conversation.
Technical
May appear in historical technical documents or in comparative discussions of temperature measurement in certain engineering or scientific history contexts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “reaumur scale”
Strong
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “reaumur scale”
- Misspelling: 'Reamur', 'Reaumer', 'Réamur'.
- Incorrectly assuming it is still in common use.
- Mispronouncing /ˈriːəmər/ instead of the correct /ˌreɪəˈmjʊə(r)/.
- Using it without the definite article (e.g., 'on Réaumur scale' instead of 'on the Réaumur scale').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is completely obsolete for practical measurement. It survives only in historical, academic, or specialized metrological contexts.
Since the Réaumur scale sets 0°R = 0°C and 80°R = 100°C, the conversion is straightforward: °C = °R × 1.25. For example, 40°R equals 50°C.
Réaumur used alcohol in his thermometers, which expands more than mercury. He calibrated his scale using the freezing point of water (0°) and the boiling point (80°), dividing the volume expansion of his alcohol mixture into 80 equal parts.
The conventional symbol is °R. However, this can be ambiguous as it is also used for the Rankine scale. In historical contexts, °Ré or explicitly 'degrees Réaumur' is used for clarity.
A historical temperature scale where water freezes at 0° and boils at 80° under standard atmospheric pressure.
Reaumur scale is usually technical/historical in register.
Reaumur scale: in British English it is pronounced /ˌreɪəˈmjʊə ˌskeɪl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌreɪəˈmjʊr ˌskeɪl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'Réaumur' for 'Rare' and 'Retro': it's a Rare, Retro scale where water boils at a Retro 80 degrees, not 100.
Conceptual Metaphor
SCALE AS A MEASURING ROD (obsolete variant).
Practice
Quiz
The Réaumur scale is primarily relevant in which context today?