Fahrenheit

American  

[far-uhn-hahyt, fahr-uhn-hahyt] / ˈfær ənˌhaɪt, ˈfɑr ənˌhaɪt /

noun

1. Gabriel Daniel 1686–1736, German physicist: devised a temperature scale and introduced the use of mercury in thermometers.

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adjective

1. noting, pertaining to, or measured according to a temperature scale Fahrenheitscale in which 32° represents the ice point and 212° the steam point. F

Fahrenheit ¹ British  

/ ˈfærənˌhaɪt /

adjective

1.  F.  of or measured according to the Fahrenheit scale of temperature

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Fahrenheit ² British  

/ ˈfaːrənhait /

noun

1. Gabriel Daniel (ˈɡaːbrieːl ˈdaːnieːl). 1686–1736, German physicist, who invented the mercury thermometer and devised the temperature scale that bears his name

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Fahrenheit ¹ Scientific  

/ făr′ən-hīt′ /

1. Relating to or based on a temperature scale that indicates the freezing point of water as 32° and the boiling point of water as 212° under standard atmospheric pressure.

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Fahrenheit ² Scientific  

1. German physicist who invented the mercury thermometer in 1714 and devised the Fahrenheit temperature scale.

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Fahrenheit ¹ Cultural  

1. A temperature scale according to which water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees. The scale was devised by Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit, an instrument maker of the eighteenth century, born in Germany.

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Fahrenheit ² Cultural  

1. A temperature scale, used primarily in the United States, in which the freezing point of water is 32 degrees and the boiling point 212 degrees. Temperatures in this scale are denoted by °F or, in scientific usage, F alone. (Compare Celsius.)

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Example Sentences

As for the mission, the Orion spacecraft carrying the four astronauts will hit the Earth’s atmosphere at about 24,000 miles an hour External link and heat up to roughly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit External link.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Ethane is combined with high pressure steam at a temperature of more than 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the molecule's chemical bonds and forming ethylene, hydrogen and other gases.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Ethane is combined with high pressure steam at a temperature of more than 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the molecule's chemical bonds and forming ethylene, hydrogen and other gases.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour, making sure to inspect and flip the crackers around the 30-minute mark.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Standing across the street from Thomas’s house, I felt my blood boil to a sizzling 212 degrees Fahrenheit, bringing heat to my cheeks and fingertips.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas