thermoelectric
Americanadjective
adjective
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of, relating to, used in, or operated by the generation of an electromotive force by the Seebeck effect or the Thomson effect
a thermoelectric thermometer
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of, relating to, used in, or operated by the production or absorption of heat by the Peltier effect
a thermoelectric cooler
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Relating to electric potential or power produced by heat, or to heat produced by electric energy. The thermoelectric energy of a nuclear power plant is produced by the heat generated from nuclear fission. The thermoelectric properties of materials such as selenium and semiconductors are exploited in devices such as thermistors and thermocouples used in temperature gauges.
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See also Seebeck effect
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thermoelectric
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.
Voyager 2 and its twin, Voyager 1, rely on radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which produce electricity from heat released by decaying plutonium.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Most of the thermoelectric plants were 25 to 35 years old, Mr. Mesa-Lago wrote, and sourcing parts was “extremely difficult.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
Voyager 1, like its twin Voyager 2, is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator that converts heat from decaying plutonium into electricity.
From Science Daily ● May 4, 2026
The country has suffered seven nationwide blackouts since 2024 -- two of them only this past week -- due to an aging thermoelectric plants and a shortage of oil.
From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026
Various analogies next pointed to the use of heat, and the thermoelectric cell emerged, embodying the application of flame to the junction of two different metals.
From Edison, His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
