critical temperature

[ krit-i-kuhl tem-per-uh-cher, tem-pruh‐ ]

/ ˈkrɪt ɪ kəl ˈtɛm pər ə tʃər, ˈtɛm prə‐ /

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noun Physics.

the temperature of a pure element or compound at a critical point: Above the critical temperature, no liquid can form, no matter how great the pressure of the gas is.

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Compare critical constant.

Origin of critical temperature

First recorded in 1865–70

Words nearby critical temperature

critical pressure, critical race theory, critical ratio, critical region, critical state, critical temperature, critical thinking, critical value, critical volume, criticaster, criticism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use critical temperature in a sentence

Above this critical temperature, the dim suns are a mix of long-lived red dwarfs and young brown dwarfs.
Here’s how cool a star can be and still achieve lasting success|Ken Croswell|August 23, 2021|Science News
Heating may be the trickiest part of the process, only because the critical temperature varies among brands or even liners, which often have different thicknesses and materials.
You Should Be Molding Your Ski-Boot Liners|Ryan Wichelns|March 1, 2021|Outside Online
Dossi initially was listed in critical condition with wounds to his arm and lower back.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Not quite, but at one point the temperature registered 29 below zero, with 21 inches of snow.
Speed Read: The Juiciest Bits From the History of ‘Purple Rain’|Jennie Yabroff|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Dear Thief is worthy of the abused critical adjectives philosophical, atmospheric, and masterful.
A Novel Nearly Impossible to Review|Nicholas Mancusi|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Turn the heat down to 325°F and continue cooking until internal temperature reads 140°F on a thermometer.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries|Carla Hall|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But by the time a critical wanted poster sent via fax arrived, more than two hours elapsed.
Alleged Cop Killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley Had a Death Wish|M.L. Nestel|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These are few and verbal, but momentous, and were not made without consultation of many critical authorities and versions.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
The Colonel left, and in a few days the election coming off, each candidate made his appearance at the critical German polls.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
He was threatened with erysipelas, and there was a rather critical inflammation of the left eye.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Later on he became intensely critical of his own work, and finally bought up all the copies he could lay hands on and burnt them!
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
“I thought she wos wery plump, and vell made,” said Mr. Weller, with a critical air.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for critical temperature

critical temperature

noun

the temperature of a substance in its critical state. A gas can only be liquefied by pressure alone at temperatures below its critical temperature

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

Scientific definitions for critical temperature

critical temperature

The temperature of a substance at its critical point.

The temperature at which a material becomes a superconductor.

The temperature at which a property of a material, such as its magnetism, changes.