thermoelectric

American  

[thur-moh-i-lek-trik] / ˌθɜr moʊ ɪˈlɛk trɪk /

Sometimes thermoelectrical

adjective

1. of, relating to, or involving the direct relationship between heat and electricity.

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thermoelectric British  

/ ˌθɜːməʊɪˈlɛktrɪk, ˌθɜːməʊɪˈlɛktrɪkəl /

adjective

1. 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

2. 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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thermoelectric Scientific  

/ thûr′mō-ĭ-lĕk′trĭk /

1. 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.

2. See also Seebeck effect

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Other Word Forms

• thermoelectrically adverb

Etymology

Origin of thermoelectric

First recorded in 1815–25; thermo- + electric

Example Sentences

The oil would likely not be used for Cuba's aging thermoelectric power plants, which rely on the country's own crude production.

From Barron's

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

The country has suffered seven nationwide blackouts since 2024 -- two of them this past week -- due to aging thermoelectric plants and oil shortages.

From Barron's

But getting oil to power its decades-old thermoelectric plant is becoming increasingly urgent.

From Barron's

The latest blackout was due to an outage in a generating unit at one of the country's eight thermoelectric plants, triggering a domino effect in the system, according to authorities.

From Barron's