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.

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Etymology

Origin of body heat

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

She explains that the trapped person's body heat can warm the rubble around them, allowing rescuers to "see through some types of walls".

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

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

The insects can generate their own body heat like mammals and produce antifreeze proteins similar to those found in Arctic fish.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

The felt liners for my shoepacs had to be taken off and put down inside the bag so my body heat could dry them for the next day.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• climate
• cold
• condition
• heat
• warmth