Kõrvalmõõt

Kõrvalmõõt is an Estonian technical term denoting an auxiliary or secondary measurement made alongside a primary measurement. The word combines kõrval- meaning “side” or “auxiliary” with mõõt meaning “measure” or “dimension.” In practice, a kõrvalmõõt provides context, calibration data, or an estimate of uncertainty that accompanies the main reading.

Usage and contexts: The term is predominantly found in Estonian-language engineering, surveying, metrology, and data-analysis literature. For example, in surveying a secondary lateral offset may be recorded as a kõrvalmõõt to assist in error budgeting. In metrology, auxiliary measurements such as temperature, instrument drift, or environmental conditions can be described as kõrvalmõõdud that complement the primary dimension.

Relation to other terms: Kõrvalmõõt is comparable to the general English concept of an auxiliary measurement or secondary metric. It is not widely standardized in international glossaries, and some sources simply translate it as “auxiliary measurement” rather than retaining the Estonian compound.

Usage note: The term is relatively rare outside specialized technical texts, and practitioners may prefer more explicit phrases depending on the field. In translation, care should be taken not to confuse kõrvalmõõt with related Estonian words such as kõrvamõõt or kõrvalmõju.

See also: auxiliary measurement, calibration, offset, metrology.