Term used to refer to both the machine used in the test and to refer to a breath test. The device is used to estimate the blood alcohol content (BAC) of an individual suspected of driving under the influence (DUI). The instrument can only give an estimate of the BAC levels as it does not have the capacity to collect blood samples. Results are therefore based on the alcohol content in the breath of the driver. This test can be unpredictable and results can yield false positives that is why it is usually used to determine if a further blood test is required.
A breathalyzer or breathalyser (a portmanteau of breath and analyzer/analyser) is a device for estimating blood alcohol content (BAC), or to detect viruses or diseases from a breath sample.
The name is a genericized trademark of the Breathalyzer brand name of instruments developed by inventor Robert Frank Borkenstein in the 1950s.
English
Alternative forms
- breathalyser (British)
Etymology
Blend of breath + analyzer. Originally a trademark of Smith & Wesson.
Noun
breathalyzer
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