body heat

American  

[bod-ee heet] / ˈbɒd i ˌhit /

noun

1. Physiology. heat generated in the body of a living animal through processes such as metabolism and muscle activity.

   When body temperature is low, muscles can contract to produce body heat.

   A good down sleeping bag will provide insulation to keep your body heat from escaping if you’re winter camping.

---

Etymology

Origin of body heat

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

body heat

Heat stress -- the name given to the hazardous build-up of body heat caused by soaring temperatures, humidity and other factors -- is one of the most common ways that weather kills people.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

Their collective body heat raises the cave’s temperature to a sweltering 106°F, and the piles of guano beneath them are deep enough to bury the Statue of Liberty to her waist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

When it is not possible to keep rooms heated to 18C, he recommends wearing gloves, warm socks and a woolly hat, eating a higher carbohydrate diet and generating more body heat by moving around.

From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2025

The temperature is set at a chilly 68-70 degrees, because body heat rises with such strenuous exertion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2024

The ground is cold, but I am warmed by Chou’s body heat.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

Related Words

• climate
• cold
• condition
• heat
• warmth