thermo-, therm-, thermi-, -thermia, -therm, -thermal, -thermic, -thermias, -thermies, -thermous, -thermy

(Greek: heat, heating, heater, hot, warm)

The term heat is employed in ordinary language in different senses. Some scientists distinguish four principal applications of the term:

  1. Sensation of heat.
  2. Temperature, or degree of hotness.
  3. Quantity of thermal energy.
  4. Radiant heat, or energy of radiation.

hygrothermaograph
An instrument that records both temperature and humidity on one graph.
hygrothermia, hygrothermally
A reference to moisture and heat.
hygrothermograph
1. An instrument that records the temperature and humidity of the air on a single chart.
2. A visual record of temperature and relative humidity readings taken over a period of several days.
hygrothermography
The recording of both temperature and humidity.
hygrothermometer
An instrument which measures both temperature and relative humidity.
hyperthermal, hyperthermic
A reference to an abnormally elevated body temperature; such as fever.
hyperthermalgesia (s) (noun) (no pl)
Extreme sensitiveness (pain) to heat; thermalgia: Nancy never wanted to live in the desert because she suffered from hyperthermalgesia, so she tried to find a job in a moderate climate.
hyperthermia
1. Therapeutically induced hyperpyrexia.
2. Characterized by excess heat; of very high temperature.
3. The condition of having a body temperature substantially above the normal either as a result of natural causes or artificially induced (e.g. for therapeutic purposes).
hyperthermia, hypothermia
hyperthermia (high" puhr THUR mee uh) (noun)
Unusually high body temperature: The doctors were worried because the patient seemed very hot as if suffering from hyperthermia.
hypothermia (high" puh THUR mee uh) (noun)
Abnormally low body temperature: People who enjoy hiking in the winter need to be very careful that they don't develop hypothermia and frostbite.

The doctors were very worried about Josie's well-being because her temperatures kept fluctuating between hyperthermia and hypothermia without a medical explanation.

hyperthermoesthesia, hyperthermoaesthesia (s) (noun); hyperthermoesthesias; hyperthermoaesthesias (pl)
Extreme sensitiveness to heat: Bertha's hyperthermoesthesia always results in her face being very red whenever she is in a heated room and during hot summers.
hyperthermophile (s) (noun), hyperthermophiles (pl)
An organism that thrives best in temperatures of 80 degrees Celsius or higher. A hyperthermophile is a life form that can exist in an extremely hot environment, like in hot springs with a water temperature around the boiling point.
hyperthermotherapy
The use of abnormally high body temperature, especially that which is induced for therapeutic purposes.
hyperthermy (s) (noun), hyperthermies (pl)
An abnormally high body temperature: "Hyperthermia can be caused by a high fever, a heat stroke, central nervous system diseases, or infections; including, encephalitis, malaria, meningitis, sepsis, etc."

"Some hyperthermies are artificially induced by the introduction of an injection of foreign proteins or by physical means as a treatment for certain diseases."

Hypothermal
A postglacial interval characterized by little glacial expansion and moderate decreases in temperature.
hypothermal (adjective)
A tepid or subnormal body temperature: "Hypothermal conditions can be a result of being exposed to cold temperatures or it is a technique for lowering the body temperature, in order to reduce oxygen requirements during surgery; especially, cardiovascular and neurological procedures."

Quiz You can find self-scoring quizzes over many of the words in this subject area by going to this Thermo- Vocabulary Quizzes page.

Related "heat, hot" word units: ferv-; pyreto-.

Related "bubble" word unit: ebulli-.