temperature

American  

[tem-per-uh-cher, -choor, -pruh-, -per-cher] / ˈtɛm pər ə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər, -prə-, -pər tʃər /

noun

• temperatures
  plural

1. a measure of the warmth or coldness of an object or substance with reference to some standard value. The temperature of two systems is the same when the systems are in thermal equilibrium. T

2. Physiology, Pathology.

   1. the degree of heat in a living body, normally about 98.6°F (37°C) in humans.

   2. the excess of this above the normal.

3. Obsolete. mildness, as of the weather.

4. Obsolete. temperament.

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temperature British  

/ ˈtɛmprɪtʃə /

noun

1. the degree of hotness of a body, substance, or medium; a physical property related to the average kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules of a substance

2. a measure of this degree of hotness, indicated on a scale that has one or more fixed reference points

3. informal a body temperature in excess of the normal

4. archaic

   1. compromise

   2. temperament

   3. temperance

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temperature Scientific  

/ tĕm′pər-ə-chr′ /

1. A measure of the ability of a substance, or more generally of any physical system, to transfer heat energy to another physical system. The temperature of a substance is closely related to the average kinetic energy of its molecules.

2. See also Boyle's law

3. Any of various standardized numerical measures of this ability, such as the Kelvin, Fahrenheit, and Celsius scales.

4. An abnormally high body temperature; a fever.

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temperature Idioms  

1. see run a fever (temperature).

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Usage

Heat and temperature are closely related but distinct and sometimes subtle ideas. Heat is simply transferred thermal energy—most commonly, the kinetic energy of molecules making up substance, vibrating and bouncing against each other. A substance's temperature, on the other hand, is a measure of its ability to transfer heat, rather than the amount of heat transferred. For example, a match lit under a pot of boiling water reaches a much higher temperature than the water, but it is able to give off much less heat, since only a small amount of thermal energy is created and released by it. When any two substances of different temperatures are in thermal contact, the laws of thermodynamics state that heat flows from the higher-temperature substance into the lower-temperature substance, raising the temperature of the heated body and lowering the temperature of the body releasing heat until thermal equilibrium is reached, and the temperatures are the same. Thus temperature describes a characteristic of matter that determines the direction and extent of heat transfer, so the match with little heat but high temperature still adds energy to the water when placed under the pot. Providing a closed physical system with heat generally raises its temperature but not necessarily; for example, ice at zero degrees Celsius requires considerable additional heat in order to melt into water at zero degrees Celsius. Temperature can be related to the average kinetic energy of the molecules of gases, though this relation breaks down in most real cases involving liquids, solids, substances with larger molecules, and radiation with no mass, such as light. The two most common temperature scales, Celsius (C) and Fahrenheit (F), are based on the freezing and boiling points of water. On the Celsius scale there are 100 increments between the two points, and on the Fahrenheit scale there are 180. Scientists also use the International System units called Kelvins (K). A difference in temperature of one degree is equivalent in the Celsius and Kelvin scales, but their absolute scales are different: while zero degrees C is the temperature at which water freezes (at a pressure of one atmosphere), zero degrees K (−273.72 degrees C), also called absolute zero, is the least possible temperature for a system, representing a theoretical state from which no heat can be extracted.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• temperatures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of temperature

First recorded in 1525–35, temperature is from the Latin word temperātūra a tempering. See temperate, -ure

Explanation

Temperature refers to how hot or cold something is. When you think you might have a fever, you take your temperature to see if it is higher than normal. Temperature can also mean hotness and coldness in terms of excitement. Before offering a discount on its new one-legged jeans, the clothing manufacturer surveyed 200 loyal customers over the phone, to gauge the likely temperature of the response to their marketing ploy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

temperature temperatures

To determine how the Atlantic responded, they also developed temperature records from Ocean Drilling Program Site 625 in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

Health workers were screening passengers at the country’s main airport when a Congolese traveler presented with a high temperature.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Together, the evidence from several ocean basins connected movements of the Southern Ocean front with changes in Atlantic temperature layers and overturning circulation.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

A high of 42.5C was recorded on Sunday in the southern city of Yangsan, the country's highest temperature since modern record keeping began.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

The temperature dropped so low that even with his thick fur, Duane shivered in the gasping, biting cold.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Until now, a wave-based form of heat transport called phonon focusing had only been observed at extremely low cryogenic temperatures, which made it difficult to study and limited its potential applications.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026

Earlier this week, Seoul's meteorological administration forecast a 50% probability that temperatures in September and October could continue trending higher than average.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Authorities have reported no fire-related deaths, but they fear the weather may worsen this weekend, with temperatures and winds forecast to rise.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

He manipulates the physical form of the ingredient to showcase different temperatures and textures: souffle, cream, biscuit, foam, and air.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

The day had been unusually mild for January, with temperatures in the mid-fifties, so he had slipped away for an early round of golf.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• climate
• cold
• condition
• heat
• warmth