thermostat

American  

[thur-muh-stat] / ˈθɜr məˌstæt /

noun

• thermostats
  plural

1. a device, including a relay actuated by thermal conduction or convection, that functions to establish and maintain a desired temperature automatically or signals a change in temperature for manual adjustment.

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verb (used with object)

thermostatted, thermostated, thermostatting, thermostating

1. to equip or control with a thermostat.

thermostat British  

/ ˈθɜːməˌstæt /

noun

1. a device that maintains a system at a constant temperature. It often consists of a bimetallic strip that bends as it expands and contracts with temperature, thus breaking and making contact with an electrical power supply

2. a similar device that actuates equipment, such as a sprinkler, when a certain temperature is reached

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thermostat Scientific  

/ thûr′mə-stăt′ /

1. A device that automatically controls heating or cooling equipment in such a way as to maintain a temperature at a constant level or within a specified range, generally using a thermometer capable of triggering electrical switches that activate or deactivate the equipment.

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thermostat Cultural  

1. A device that monitors and automatically responds to changes in temperature and activates switches controlling devices such as furnaces or air conditioners.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• thermostatic
  adjective
• thermostatically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• thermostats
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of thermostat

First recorded in 1825–35; thermo- + -stat

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Explanation

If your house is always too cold in the winter, you might need to adjust the thermostat, or the dial that controls the indoor temperature. Most devices that emit heat have a thermostat, which controls how hot or cold things get. Car engines, electric blankets, furnaces, and ovens are all equipped with thermostats so that people can change the temperature, or in the case of cars, so that the car itself can keep the engine at the ideal temperature. The noun thermostat comes from the Greek word for heat, thermos, plus statos, or "a standing."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thermostat thermostats thermostated

Staff and pupils have also been advised to "wear more clothes" rather than turn the heating thermostat up if it is cold.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

During the World Cup, I was able to upgrade the AC unit, added a smart thermostat and invested in landscaping, which we want to do more of.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani asked the city to dim the lights and keep the thermostat at 78 degrees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

"Raise your thermostat as high as is comfortably safe," the power utility ComEd there urged, while calling on residents to delay using laundry, dishwashers and electric vehicle chargers until after dusk.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

She lets the water run in the shower, turns up the thermostat to compensate for the terrible moment when she will have to step onto the mat on the bathroom floor, unclothed.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

He says it is his retirement hobby to monitor the performance of heating and cooling systems in the homes of friends and family members, by analysing data from their smart thermostats.

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026

A major build-out of renewables has lowered gas burned for power generation; factories have either closed or become more gas-efficient; and households have turned down their thermostats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

The companies are forming a power plant that would draw power from Sunrun and Tesla home battery systems and Renew smart thermostats.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

Utilities in the Midwest on Saturday directed customers to lower thermostats, unplug “nonessential appliances,” and reduce temperature settings on electric water heaters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026

Tools, bells, batteries, unusual circuits, burglar alarms, annunciator systems, thermostats, circuit breakers, time alarms, and other apparatus used in bell circuits are described from the standpoints of their application, construction and repair.

From Aviation Engines Design?Construction?Operation and Repair by Victor Wilfred Pag?

Soon some 450 great paintings were racked on pipeline scaffolds set up in the huge, thermostated hall where Financier Stotesbury once gave concerts for 1,000 guests.

From Time Magazine Archive

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