critical temperature

American  

[krit-i-kuhl tem-per-uh-cher, tem-pruh‐] / ˈkrɪt ɪ kəl ˈtɛm pər ə tʃər, ˈtɛm prə‐ /

noun

Physics.

1. the temperature of a pure element or compound at a critical point.

   Above the critical temperature, no liquid can form, no matter how great the pressure of the gas is.

---

critical temperature British  

noun

1. the temperature of a substance in its critical state. A gas can only be liquefied by pressure alone at temperatures below its critical temperature

---

critical temperature Scientific  

1. The temperature of a substance at its critical point.

2. The temperature at which a material becomes a superconductor.

3. The temperature at which a property of a material, such as its magnetism, changes.

---

Etymology

Origin of critical temperature

First recorded in 1865–70