radiator

American  

[rey-dee-ey-ter] / ˈreɪ diˌeɪ tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that radiates.

2. any of various heating devices, as a series or coil of pipes through which steam or hot water passes.

3. a device constructed from thin-walled tubes and metal fins, used for cooling circulating water, as in an automobile engine.

4. Radio. a transmitting antenna.

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radiator British  

/ ˈreɪdɪˌeɪtə /

noun

1. a device for heating a room, building, etc, consisting of a series of pipes through which hot water or steam passes

2. a device for cooling an internal-combustion engine, consisting of thin-walled tubes through which water passes. Heat is transferred from the water through the walls of the tubes to the airstream, which is created either by the motion of the vehicle or by a fan

3. an electric fire

4. electronics the part of an aerial or transmission line that radiates electromagnetic waves

5. an electric space heater

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radiator Scientific  

/ rā′dē-ā′tər /

1. A body that emits radiation. Radiators are commonly designed to transfer heat energy from one place to another, as in an automobile, in which the radiator cools the engine by transferring heat energy from the engine to the air, or in buildings, where radiators transfer heat energy from a furnace to the air and objects in the surrounding room.

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Etymology

Origin of radiator

First recorded in 1830–40; radiate + -or ²

Example Sentences

To save money on your heating bill, turn off radiators in rooms you do not use and use your central thermostat to control the overall temperature, he said.

From BBC

The camera cuts to Elizabeth’s actual surroundings: a New York City apartment, where the radiator clacks and hisses in place of a crackling fire, and the view is brick, not snow-dusted pasture.

From Salon

The commission admitted the problem and extended the mechanism to such finished products as washing machines, industrial radiators and garden tools.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rob Williams visits the pub most afternoons and has his spot by the window and, more importantly, near the radiator.

From BBC

To help with the pine needle drop, she also advises putting it in a cooler part of your house, away from radiators or open fire.

From BBC

Related Words

• boiler
• fastball
• furnace
• oven
• stove