thermal

[ thur-muhl ]

adjective

1. Also of, relating to, or caused by heat or temperature:

   Buildings and sealed surfaces have a higher thermal capacity than soil and give up their heat more slowly at night.

   We speed up composting using a thermal treatment.

2. of or relating to hot springs or hot baths:

   The bubbly, hot spring pool derives its name from the character of its thermal waters.

3. designed to aid in or promote the retention of body heat:

   We keep a thermal blanket in the car during winter, just in case.

noun

1. Meteorology. a rising air current caused by heating from the underlying surface, especially such a current when not producing a cloud.
2. thermal energy ( def ).
3. thermals. thermal underwear ( def ).

thermal

/ ˈθɜːməl /

adjective

1. Alsothermicˈθɜːmɪk of, relating to, caused by, or generating heat or increased temperature
2. hot or warm

   thermal spring

   thermal baths

3. (of garments or fabrics) specially designed so as to have exceptional heat-retaining properties

noun

1. meteorol a column of rising air caused by local unequal heating of the land surface, and used by gliders and birds to gain height
2. plural thermal garments, esp underclothes

thermal

/ thûr′məl /

Adjective

1. Relating to heat.

Noun

1. A usually columnar mass of warm air that rises in the lower atmosphere because it is less dense than the air around it. Thermals form because the ground surface is heated unevenly by the Sun. The air usually rises until it is in equilibrium with the air surrounding it.

Derived Forms

• ˈthermally, adverb

Other Words From

• ther·mal·ly adverb
• hy·per·ther·mal adjective
• hy·per·ther·mal·ly adverb
• non·ther·mal adjective
• non·ther·mal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of thermal¹

First recorded in 1750–60; therm- + -al ¹

Example Sentences

But when lithium batteries are corrupted, they can experience thermal runaway – meaning a cell undergoes uncontrollable temperature rises, making a fire hard to control and extinguish.

From BBC

The statement added that traps had been set in the area, and police were on-site "utilizing thermal imaging cameras in an attempt to locate the animals".

From BBC

In 2019, Richard Fitton of the University of Salford and colleagues published a paper in which they investigated the efficacy of six thermal paints available on the UK market at the time.

From BBC

First, the researchers coated boards with the paints, which allowed them to measure the coatings’ thermal resistance, or insulating values.

From BBC

Fires can be caused by overcharging, overheating, physical damage or product defects, which trigger a process known as thermal runaway — where excessive heat inside a battery creates a self-sustaining chemical reaction that can then easily spread to adjacent batteries.

From Los Angeles Times