An instrument that measures the height of clouds above the ground.
From French 'ceil' (ceiling/sky) + '-meter' (from Greek 'metron' meaning 'measure'). Literally 'sky-measurer,' created in the early 20th century for aviation weather reporting.
Ceilometers revolutionized aviation by letting pilots know if clouds were low enough to be dangerous—they shine a light upward and measure how quickly it bounces back, giving instant cloud height!
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