pyroelectricity

American

[pahy-roh-i-lek-tris-i-tee, -ee-lek-] / ˌpaɪ roʊ ɪ lɛkˈtrɪs ɪ ti, -ˌi lɛk- /

noun

electrification or electrical polarity produced in certain crystals by temperature changes.

pyroelectricity British

/ -ˌiːlɛk-, ˌpaɪrəʊɪlɛkˈtrɪsɪtɪ /

noun

the development of opposite charges at the ends of the axis of certain hemihedral crystals, such as tourmaline, as a result of a change in temperature

"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 pyroelectricity

First recorded in 1825–35; pyro- + electricity

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