central heating

American  

noun

1. a system that supplies heat to an entire building from a single source through ducts or through pipes.

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central heating British  

noun

1. a system for heating the rooms of a building by means of radiators or air vents connected by pipes or ducts to a central source of heat

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Etymology

Origin of central heating

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

I received a similar question recently from a reader who had employed a heating engineer to fix their central heating.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

About 3% of households in England and Wales said oil was their only source of central heating, according to a 2021 census, and 5% of households in Scotland.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

Only 3% of households in England and Wales said oil was their only source of central heating, according to a 2021 census, and 5% of households in Scotland.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

Only 3% of households in England and Wales said oil was their only source of central heating, according to a 2021 census, while the figure stands at 5% in Scotland.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

I heard the whirr of the central heating.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd