thermal

adjective

ther·mal | \ ˈthər-məl

Definition of thermal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : of, relating to, or caused by heat thermal stress thermal insulation

b : being or involving a state of matter dependent upon temperature thermal conductivity thermal agitation of molecular structure

c : having low energies of the order of those due to thermal agitation thermal neutrons

2 : designed (as with insulating air spaces) to prevent the dissipation of body heat thermal underwear

3 [ Latin thermae public baths, from Greek thermai, plural of thermē ] : of, relating to, or marked by the presence of hot springs thermal waters

thermal

noun

Definition of thermal (Entry 2 of 2)

: a rising body of warm air

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Did You Know?

In days gone by, much of the male population of the northern states in the cold months would wear a garment of thermal underwear covering the entire body, called a union suit. Union suits kept sodbusters, cowboys, and townsfolk alike not only warm but also itchy and a little on the smelly side (back when bathing once a week was considered the height of cleanliness). Thermal imaging is photography that captures "heat pictures"--rather than ordinary light pictures--of objects. And thermal pollution occurs when industrial water use ends up warming a river in a damaging way. Small-plane pilots use thermal as a noun for a warm updraft, often over a plowed field or desert, that lifts their wings, just as it enables hawks to soar upward without moving their wings.

Examples of thermal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

On Friday, the Medical Examiner’s Office said Carole Paladino died of multiple blunt trauma and John Paladino succumbed to thermal injuries. — Max Cohen, Philly.com, "House explosion that killed Gloucester County couple was accidental, fire marshal rules," 13 July 2018 Families and children rested under shiny thermal blankets in cells of chain-link fences adorned with high-hanging televisions. — Washington Post, "A day with Border Patrol: imperiled infant, distraught dad," 26 June 2018 Families and children rested under shiny thermal blankets in cells of chain-link fences adorned with high-hanging televisions. — Elliot Spagat, The Seattle Times, "A day with Border Patrol: imperiled infant, distraught dad," 25 June 2018 The detention facilities themselves have generated condemnation, showing kids sitting behind cage-like chain link fencing or lying on mattresses with silver thermal blankets. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "The 2,300 migrant kids already separated won’t immediately be reunited with parents," 21 June 2018 Videos of children under foil-like thermal blankets in warehouses, separated in basically large chain-link boxes, are tough to watch. — Michael Smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Trump creates kids crisis to leverage border wall, immigration limits," 18 June 2018 To avoid this, the instruments—which dot the outside of the back of the craft—are wrapped in thermal blankets and paired with individual, solar-powered heaters. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "This spacecraft will get closer to the Sun than any before it—without melting," 29 Mar. 2018 Every spring for the past eight years, residents from the neighboring Obergoms area have trekked up the Swiss mountain to wrap thermal blankets around parts of the glacier and the ice grotto carved inside it. — Helena Bachmann, USA TODAY, "The Swiss found a way to save this glacier from melting: Wrap it in a giant blanket," 13 Mar. 2018 The spa, a five-minute ride on the U1 subway line from central Vienna, is one of the largest thermal springs in Austria, with multiple pools, sauna and steam rooms, a cafeteria and rows of chaise longues. — Molly Selvin, latimes.com, "In Vienna, time for creating new memories and revisiting the old," 8 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

To accommodate improved thermals and upgraded processor and graphics options, the new Spectre 15 x360 is about 1.67mm thicker than the previous model, as well as a bit heavier (4.5 pounds instead of 4.4 pounds). — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "HP Spectre 15 x360 2018 review: Made better by standard 4K, great battery life," 25 May 2018 To release the atmosphere’s CAPE, thermals near the surface need to be nudged upward in an organized manner. — Jeff Halverson, Washington Post, "Severe thunderstorm watch: Storms approaching D.C.’s southern suburbs," 10 May 2018 Core 10 Be Warm Thermal Fitted Run Hoodie: The ultimate lightweight thermal, this hoodie is perfect for all-season running; just pull it on and go. — Susan Brickell, Health.com, "Amazon Just Leaked an Early Prime Day Deal—and It’s Perfect for Fitness Junkies," 12 July 2018 All of the cells were outfitted with metal benches and some sleeping mats and disposable aluminum thermal blankets scattered about. — Alicia A. Caldwell, WSJ, "Along the Border, Migrant Mothers Turn Themselves In to Immigration Authorities," 26 June 2018 The La Porte plant, of course, is just a demonstration project, but Dimmig said NET Power has essentially built a 300MW plant scaled down to 25MW electric/50MW thermal. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "In Texas, a new power plant could redefine carbon capture," 31 May 2018 The Predator Helios 500 clearly has a lot going on in its guts, with pricing, thermals, and bulk to match. — Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld, "The Acer Predator Helios 500 is a gaming laptop that's overclockable in all the right places," 25 May 2018 This activity is most likely caused by a thermal, convective overturning of the ice. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Pluto has 'Earth-like characteristics,' study says," 31 May 2018 Arizona is the first state testing thermal cameras to catch wrong-way drivers. — CBS News, "Arizona invests in thermal cameras to combat wrong-way crashes," 29 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thermal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.