heater

American  

[hee-ter] / ˈhi tər /

noun

1. any of various apparatus for heating, especially for heating water or the air in a room.

2. Electronics. the element of a vacuum tube that carries the current for heating a cathode.

3. Slang. a pistol, revolver, or other firearm.

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heater British  

/ ˈhiːtə /

noun

1. any device for supplying heat, such as a hot-air blower, radiator, convector, etc

2. slang a pistol

3. electronics a conductor carrying a current that indirectly heats the cathode in some types of valve

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Other Word Forms

• reheater noun

Etymology

Origin of heater

First recorded in 1490–1500; heat + -er ¹

Example Sentences

The charity Community Action Northumberland suggested switching to an oil-filled electric radiator or electric heater to help with costs.

From BBC

Baseball’s been on a heater in recent years—improved TV ratings, better pace of play with the pitch clock—and a stoppage could throw away significant momentum.

From The Wall Street Journal

An electric space heater chugged away in the corner of the living room, struggling to keep the cold outside where it belonged.

From Literature

They can do double-duty as both home heaters and AC units and are pretty good at maintaining a constant temperature inside a home without the blast-then-cool-off cycle typical of a furnace.

From Los Angeles Times

Shiffrin isn’t just the planet’s most decorated skier, she’d been on a wild heater entering these Games, winning seven out of eight World Cup races and looking very much at the peak of her powers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• boiler
• fastball
• furnace
• oven
• radiator
• stove