breathalyzer

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Blend of breath +‎ analyzer. Originally a trademark of Smith & Wesson.

Noun

breathalyzer (plural breathalyzers)

  1. 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.
    • 2012, G. Douglas Ward, Memories of a Small-Town Cop, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 73:
      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.

Usage notes

Often capitalized.

Translations

Further reading
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