Btu

noun

ˌbē-ˌtē-ˈyü 

: british thermal unit

Examples of Btu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Recall that America’s boom in fracking for shale oil and gas emerged directly from record high 2008 prices of $14 per million Btu for natural gas and $147 per barrel of oil. — Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Note that inventory levels in the graphic below are 23% below the levels of a year ago, when inventories were at the top of the five-year range and Henry Hub natural gas spot prices were below $2 per million Btu. — Robert Rapier, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025

Using radiant infrared heat, this Duraflame pumps out some serious Btu (British thermal units). — Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 June 2023

That’s a ratio of cooling capacity, measured in British thermal units per hour (Btu/h), to the power input in watts (W). — Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Btu

noun

ˌbē-ˌtē-ˈyü 

: british thermal unit

Medical Definition

Btu

abbreviation

British thermal unit