thermistor
noun
therm·is·tor
ˈthər-ˌmi-stər 
: an electrical resistor making use of a semiconductor whose resistance varies sharply in a known manner with the temperature
Examples of thermistor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, a thermistor is a semiconductor whose resistance varies precisely and predictably with temperature.
—
Rhett Allain, Wired News, 22 May 2026
Along that journey, Aqua has survived a battery short-circuiting, a solar panel thermistor failure, and lost 23 of its solar cell strings.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 20 May 2026
The steam wand is big and powerful and, helpfully, comes with a thermistor built into it.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025
The Weather Channel says that because of this placement, the thermistors are measuring the temp of the heat radiating from the ground.
—Lawrence Hodge / Jalopnik, Quartz, 1 July 2024
Tiny glass bead thermistors measure the air’s temperature up to 30 times per second to make sure everything is A-OK.
—Brian Underwood, Women's Health, 26 July 2023
One black spot does double duty as both absorber and heater, and a second serves as the thermistor to track temperature changes.
—Douglas McCormick, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2013
At the same time, thermistors buried several meters into the ice at the AMIGOS site recorded a pulse of warmth—suggesting that water from snowmelt was percolating down.
—Douglas Fox, Scientific American, 1 July 2012
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Rhett Allain, Wired News, 22 May 2026
Along that journey, Aqua has survived a battery short-circuiting, a solar panel thermistor failure, and lost 23 of its solar cell strings.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 20 May 2026
The steam wand is big and powerful and, helpfully, comes with a thermistor built into it.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025
The Weather Channel says that because of this placement, the thermistors are measuring the temp of the heat radiating from the ground.
—Lawrence Hodge / Jalopnik, Quartz, 1 July 2024
Tiny glass bead thermistors measure the air’s temperature up to 30 times per second to make sure everything is A-OK.
—Brian Underwood, Women's Health, 26 July 2023
One black spot does double duty as both absorber and heater, and a second serves as the thermistor to track temperature changes.
—Douglas McCormick, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2013
At the same time, thermistors buried several meters into the ice at the AMIGOS site recorded a pulse of warmth—suggesting that water from snowmelt was percolating down.
—Douglas Fox, Scientific American, 1 July 2012
Cite this Entry
“Thermistor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermistor. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
thermistor
noun
therm·is·tor
ˈthər-ˌmis-tər
: an electrical resistor making use of a semiconductor whose resistance varies sharply in a known manner with the temperature
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