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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.

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Origin of thermopile

First recorded in 1840–50; thermo- + pile1

Words nearby thermopile

thermophilic, thermophone, thermophore, thermophosphorescence, thermophylic, thermopile, thermoplacentography, thermoplastic, thermoplegia, Thermopylae, thermoreceptor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for thermopile

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

Scientific 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.