Peltier effect

American

[pel-tyey] / ˈpɛl tjeɪ /

noun

Physics.

the change in temperature of either junction of a thermocouple when a current is maintained in the thermocouple and after allowance is made for a temperature change due to resistance.

Peltier effect British

/ ˈpɛltɪˌeɪ /

noun

physics the production of heat at one junction and the absorption of heat at the other junction of a thermocouple when a current is passed around the thermocouple circuit. The heat produced is additional to the heat arising from the resistance of the wires Compare Seebeck effect

"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

Etymology

Origin of Peltier effect

1855–60; named after Jean C. A. Peltier (1785–1845), French physicist who discovered it

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This "Peltier effect," as it is termed, after its discoverer, has been known to freeze water, but no practical application has been made of it.

From The Story of Electricity by Munro, John

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023