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Celsius

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

noun

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


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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


Celsius 2 Scientific  
  1. Swedish astronomer who invented the centigrade thermometer in 1742.


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


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).)


Etymology

Origin of Celsius

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Recent purchases from executives at Altria, Tyson Foods and Celsius Holdings stand out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

In laboratory experiments, the researchers found that RNA began forming droplets at temperatures about 10 degrees Celsius lower than the corresponding DNA.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Before the arrival of wind and rain, though, some bursts of warmth will lift temperatures above average, possibly reaching the low-20s Celsius at times in south-east England.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Temperatures below 200 degrees Celsius are comparable to those found inside a conventional kitchen oven.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

Now it was only -16 degrees Celsius, and they had plenty of daylight to make it to the fishing cabin before sundown.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

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