thermopile

American  

[thur-muh-pahyl] / ˈθɜr məˌpaɪl /

noun

Physics.

1. 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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thermopile British  

/ ˈθɜːməʊˌpaɪl /

noun

1. 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

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thermopile Scientific  

/ thûr′mə-pīl′ /

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

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Etymology

Origin of thermopile

First recorded in 1840–50; thermo- + pile ¹

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Compare meaning

How does thermopile compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• thermopile vs. thermocouple

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thermopile

While some devices have shown improved performance by combining layers with different thermopower signs in thermopile devices, this approach generally requires the use of different materials and altering the manufacturing process.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 23, 2024

The same author states that, "the earth is a great thermopile generating electric currents by the difference of potential between its heated and cooled parts."

From The Universe a Vast Electric Organism by George Woodward Warder

We have no time or space here to describe Professor Langley's "bolometer;" it must suffice to say that it seems to stand to the thermopile much as that does to the thermometer.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 443, June 28, 1884 by Various

Indeed, the thermopile in the hands of Lockyer has already made palpable the heat of the fixed stars.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 288, July 9, 1881 by Various

Gradually the light faded, as the thermopile adjusted itself to the change in temperature.

From The Dream Doctor by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve

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