hypocaust

American  

[hahy-puh-kawst, hip-uh-] / ˈhaɪ pəˌkɔst, ˈhɪp ə- /

noun

1. a hollow space or system of channels in the floor or walls of some ancient Roman buildings that provided a central heating system by receiving and distributing the heat from a furnace.

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hypocaust British  

/ ˈhaɪpəˌkɔːst /

noun

1. an ancient Roman heating system in which hot air circulated under the floor and between double walls

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Etymology

Origin of hypocaust

1670–80; < Latin hypocaustum < Greek hypókauston room heated from below, equivalent to hypo- hypo- + kaustón, neuter of kaustós (verbal adjective) heated, burned; see caustic

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hypocaust

The Romans developed the hypocaust method of heating floors and walls thousands of years ago.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2023

There you find the hypocaust, a spacious round fireplace which transmitted warm air through lower conduits to the stove, and heated thePg 134 two boilers built into the masonry and supplied from a reservoir.

From The Wonders of Pompeii by Monnier, Marc

The mortar, however, between the stones of the walls of a hypocaust was found by my son to have been penetrated by many worm-burrows.

From The formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms, with observations on their habits by Darwin, Charles

The remains disclosed included a bath, hypocaust, channels and pipes for the passage of water and hot air, and tesselated pavements.

From The Towns of Roman Britain by Bevan, James Oliver

Up to the 12th century rooms were warmed entirely by a hypocaust, or with braziers, or by fires on the hearth, the smoke finding its way up to a lantern in the roof.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 2 "Chicago, University of" to "Chiton" by Various