THERMAL

thermal

(adjective) caused by or designed to retain heat; “a thermal burn”; “thermal underwear”

thermal

(adjective) of or relating to a hot spring; “thermal water”

thermal, thermic, caloric

(adjective) relating to or associated with heat; “thermal movements of molecules”; “thermal capacity”; “thermic energy”; “the caloric effect of sunlight”

thermal

(noun) rising current of warm air

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

thermal (plural thermals)

(meteorology) A column of rising air in the lower atmosphere created by uneven heating of Earth's surface.

Synonyms

• thermal column

Adjective

thermal (not comparable)

Pertaining to heat or temperature.

(fabric) Providing efficient insulation so as to keep the body warm.

Caused or brought about by heat.

(stone) Having a rough finish by treatment with a blow-torch.

Hyponyms

• aerothermal

• hydrothermal

Verb

thermal (third-person singular simple present thermals, present participle thermalling or thermaling, simple past and past participle thermalled or thermaled)

(stone) To create a rough finish on stone by treating it with a high-temperature blow-torch.

(gliding, often in the present participle) To fly an unpowered aircraft in a (thermal) column of rising air.

Proper noun

Thermal

A census-designated place in Riverside County, California, United States.

Source: Wiktionary

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Ther"mal, a. Etym: [L. thermae hot springs, fr. Gr. formus warm, and E. forceps.]

Definition: Of or pertaining to heat; warm; hot; as, the thermal unit; thermal waters. The thermal condition of the earth. J. D. Forbes. Thermal conductivity, Thermal spectrum. See under Conductivity, and Spectrum.

– Thermal unit (Physics), a unit chosen for the comparison or calculation of quantities of heat. The unit most commonly employed is the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one gram or one pound of water from zero to one degree Centigrade. See Calorie, and under Unit.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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