thermometer

thermometer In medicine, a device used to measure the temperature of the human body. There are many types of medical thermometers, including oral thermometers (placed under the tongue), rectal thermometers (placed within the rectum), multipurpose thermometers (placed under the tongue, in the rectum, or under the armpit), eardrum thermometers (placed inside the ear), and basal thermometers (highly sensitive thermometers placed under the tongue or in the rectum to measure slight temperature changes indicating that ovulation has taken place in a woman). See also fever; temperature.