Celsius

American  

[sel-see-uhs, -shee-] / ˈsɛl si əs, -ʃi- /

noun

1. Anders 1701–44, Swedish astronomer who devised the Celsius temperature scale.

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adjective

1. Also Centigrade pertaining to or noting a temperature scale Celsius scale in which 0° represents the ice point and 100° the steam point. C

2. Thermodynamics. of or relating to a temperature scale having the same units as the Celsius scale but in which the zero point has been shifted so that the triple point of water has the exact value 0.01°; Celsius temperatures are computed from Kelvin values by subtracting 273.15 from the latter. C

Celsius British  

/ ˈsɛlsɪəs /

adjective

1.  C.  denoting a measurement on the Celsius scale

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Celsius ¹ Scientific  

/ sĕl′sē-əs /

1. Relating to a temperature scale on which the freezing point of water is 0° and the boiling point of water is 100° under normal atmospheric pressure.

2. See Note at centigrade

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Celsius ² Scientific  

1. Swedish astronomer who invented the centigrade thermometer in 1742.

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Celsius ¹ Cultural  

1. A temperature scale, also called centigrade, according to which water freezes at zero degrees and boils at one hundred degrees.

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Celsius ² Cultural  

1. A temperature scale in which zero degrees is the freezing point of water and 100 degrees is the boiling point. Temperature in this scale is generally denoted by °C or, in scientific usage, C alone. (Compare Fahrenheit (see also Fahrenheit).)

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Etymology

Origin of Celsius

C18: named after Anders Celsius (1701–44), Swedish astronomer who invented it

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Celsius

The average temperature in the contiguous U.S. in July, equivalent to 24.9 degrees Celsius, which was the hottest month ever recorded, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

It’s considered in the climate community to be the likeliest proposal for offsetting about 1 degree Celsius of planetary warming that computer models attribute to accumulated emissions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

In England and Wales, temperatures will rise into the mid to high twenties Celsius and widely across east Wales, central, eastern and southern England in excess of 30C.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

They continue to exist under the mummy's current storage conditions, which include a temperature of minus six degrees Celsius and high humidity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026

An incubator is set way too high at thirty-seven degrees Celsius, which makes no sense for a defoliant to kill Sagan’s plant life for terra-forming.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera