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; caustic

Example Sentences

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

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2023

This space, although they did not know it, was the hypocaust or heating chamber of the colonial Roman house, and had been kept filled with hot air from a furnace.

From Masters of the Guild by Lamprey, L.

From them the hot air was carried back through the hypocaust and led to the rooms above by means of an ingenious system of flue tiles.

From Nicanor - Teller of Tales A Story of Roman Britain by Kinney, Margaret West

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

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