Metronome, << MEHT ruh nohm, >> is an instrument that beats time for musicians. The Dutch inventor Dietrich Winkel invented it. But the German Johann N. Malzel patented it in 1816.
The mechanical type consists of a wooden or plastic box with a pendulum. A movable counterweight is attached to the pendulum. The mechanism ticks as the pendulum moves. The lower the counterweight is set, the faster the machine ticks. Most modern metronomes are small electronic devices. They may tick, display a flashing light, or both.
