thermionic
adjective
therm·ion·ic
ˌthər-(ˌ)mī-ˈä-nik 
: relating to, using, or being the emission of charged particles (such as electrons) by an incandescent material
Examples of thermionic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The new thermionic cooler from Prunnila and his colleagues is built to control phonon flow.
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IEEE Spectrum, 12 Sep. 2023
The new coolers fall into the class of thermionic devices, which shed heat in the form of electrons.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Sep. 2023
The thermionic diode heat engine invented by Nottingham and Hatsopoulos in the 1950s finally went all the way and produced power with no moving parts.
—Charles A. Berg, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2019
IEEE Spectrum, 12 Sep. 2023
The new coolers fall into the class of thermionic devices, which shed heat in the form of electrons.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Sep. 2023
The thermionic diode heat engine invented by Nottingham and Hatsopoulos in the 1950s finally went all the way and produced power with no moving parts.
—Charles A. Berg, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thermionic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
thermion charged particle from an incandescent source, from therm- + ion
First Known Use
1909, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near thermionic
Cite this Entry
“Thermionic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermionic. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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