An anemometer is a device used for measuring wind speed, and is a common weather station instrument.The term is derived from the Greek word anemos ,which means wind, and is used to describe any wind speed measurement instrument used in meteorology.The first known description of an anemometer given by Leon Battista Alberti in 1450.he term is derived from the Greek word anemos ,which means wind, and is used to describe any wind speed measurement instrument used in meteorology. The first known description of an anemometer given by Leon Battista Alberti in 1450.