thermoelectricity
noun
ther·mo·elec·tric·i·ty
ˌthər-mō-i-ˌlek-ˈtri-sə-tē 
-ˈtri-stē
: electricity produced by the direct action of heat (as by the unequal heating of a circuit composed of two dissimilar metals)
Examples of thermoelectricity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Recently, a team devised a way to create thermoelectricity by coupling the sun’s warmth with the coldness of space by putting a material that radiates heat into outer space on top of one that absorbs warmth from the surrounding air.
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IEEE Spectrum, 18 Feb. 2023
Another idea is creating electricity through thermoelectricity, converting variations in temperature into electric voltage.
—Alex Davies, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2015
Thermoelectricity—or electricity produced through temperature differences—originated in 1821 when Thomas Seebeck and Jean Peltier discovered the conversion of heat to electricity.
—Kristen A. Schmitt, Smithsonian, 10 Apr. 2017
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IEEE Spectrum, 18 Feb. 2023
Another idea is creating electricity through thermoelectricity, converting variations in temperature into electric voltage.
—Alex Davies, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2015
Thermoelectricity—or electricity produced through temperature differences—originated in 1821 when Thomas Seebeck and Jean Peltier discovered the conversion of heat to electricity.
—Kristen A. Schmitt, Smithsonian, 10 Apr. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Thermoelectricity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermoelectricity. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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