thermodynamic

adjective ther·mo·dy·nam·ic \ ˌthər-mō-dī-ˈna-mik , -də- \

variants: or less commonly thermodynamical play \ˌthər-mō-dī-ˈna-mi-kəl, -də-\

Updated on: 28 Feb 2018

Definition of thermodynamic

1 : of or relating to thermodynamics

2 : being or relating to a system of atoms, molecules, colloidal particles, or larger bodies considered as an isolated group in the study of thermodynamic processes

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thermodynamically

play \ˌthər-mō-dī-ˈna-mi-k(ə-)lē, -də-\ adverb

Recent Examples of thermodynamic from the Web

His final words to the thermodynamic duo minutes before liftoff?

— jeremy henderson, AL.com, "New Ryan Gosling movie latest on list of Auburn ties to space program," 4 Jan. 2018
The left’s romance with revolution has always been a reality-blinder, this thermodynamic belief that things need to get bad beyond the breaking point so that people will take the vape pens out of their mouths, rise up, and storm the Bastille.

— james wolcott, The Hive, "Why the Alt-Left Is a Problem, Too," 19 June 2017
The left’s romance with revolution has always been a reality-blinder, this thermodynamic belief that things need to get bad beyond the breaking point so that people will take the vape pens out of their mouths, rise up, and storm the Bastille.

— james wolcott, The Hive, "Why the Alt-Left Is a Problem, Too," 19 June 2017
The left’s romance with revolution has always been a reality-blinder, this thermodynamic belief that things need to get bad beyond the breaking point so that people will take the vape pens out of their mouths, rise up, and storm the Bastille.

— james wolcott, The Hive, "Why the Alt-Left Is a Problem, Too," 19 June 2017
Aircraft turbine manufacturers brag about single-digit percentage gains in fuel efficiency precisely because those machines are near thermodynamic limits in converting heat to thrust.

— mark mills, Fortune, "The Real Reason Trump Left the Paris Agreement," 5 June 2017
But whirlwinds occasionally defy thermodynamic speed limits, said Nicholas Heavens, a planetary scientist at Hampton University who was not involved in the study but wrote a commentary about it.

— joanna klein, New York Times, "What Moves Gravel-Size Gypsum Crystals Around the Desert?," 21 Apr. 2017
In the thermodynamic equations describing water, the curve that represents the water’s energy as a function of temperature has a kink at 100 degrees Celsius, the point at which the liquid becomes steam.

— natalie wolchover, WIRED, "Mysterious Statistical Law May Finally Have an Explanation," 27 Oct. 2014
The left’s romance with revolution has always been a reality-blinder, this thermodynamic belief that things need to get bad beyond the breaking point so that people will take the vape pens out of their mouths, rise up, and storm the Bastille.

— james wolcott, The Hive, "Why the Alt-Left Is a Problem, Too," 19 June 2017

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

First Known Use of thermodynamic

1849

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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Medical Dictionary

thermodynamic

adjective ther·mo·dy·nam·ic \ ˌthər-mō-dī-ˈnam-ik, -də- \

variants: also thermodynamical play \-i-kəl\

medical Definition of thermodynamic

1 : of or relating to thermodynamics

2 : being or relating to a system of atoms, molecules, colloidal particles, or larger bodies considered as an isolated group in the study of thermodynamic processes

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