/vair'ee om"i teuhr/ , n.
1. Elect. an instrument for measuring inductance, consisting essentially of an inductor with two or more coils whose relative position may be changed to vary the inductance.
2. an instrument for indicating a change in a component of a magnetic field vector, esp. one related to the earth's magnetic field.
3. Aeron. an instrument that indicates the rate of climb or descent.
[ 1895-1900; vari- (see VARIOUS) + -O- + -METER ]