thermopile

[ thur-muh-pahyl ]

/ ˈθɜr məˌpaɪl /

noun Physics.

a device consisting of a number of thermocouples joined in series, used for generating thermoelectric current or for detecting and measuring radiant energy, as from a star.

Nearby words

thermophilic, thermophone, thermophore, thermophosphorescence, thermophylic, thermopile, thermoplacentography, thermoplastic, thermoplastics, thermoplegia, thermopylae

Origin of thermopile

First recorded in 1840–50; thermo- + pile¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for thermopile

So far as I know, this is the first application of the thermopile to variables.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 358, November 11, 1882|Various
Helmholtz takes the case of a circuit of resistance R in which acts an electromotive force due to a battery or thermopile.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2|Various
The principle of the thermopile we need not describe in detail.
Colour Measurement and Mixture|W. de W. Abney
Change or apparent change in intensity; observed by energy received by thermopile.
The Ether of Space|Oliver Lodge

The heat of a match, or the cold of a piece of ice, will produce a current, even if held at some distance from the thermopile.
Things a Boy Should Know About Electricity|Thomas M. (Thomas Matthew) St. John

British Dictionary definitions for thermopile

thermopile

/ (ˈθɜːməʊˌpaɪl) /

noun

an instrument for detecting and measuring heat radiation or for generating a thermoelectric current. It consists of a number of thermocouple junctions, usually joined together in series

Word Origin for thermopile

C19: from thermo- + pile 1 (in the sense: voltaic pile)

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

Science definitions for thermopile

thermopile

[ thûr′mə-pīl′ ]

A device consisting of a number of thermocouples connected in series or parallel, used for measuring temperature or generating current.