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.

thermotropism
1. The motion by a part of an organism (e.g., leaves or stems) toward or away from a source of heat.
2. An orientation response to a heat stimulus; turning or bending under the influence of heat; usually a reference to cells and multicellular organisms.
3. The movement or growth of an organism or part of an organism in response to heat.
thigmotherm, thigmothermy
An animal that draws heat into its body from contact with a warm object in its environment.
thigmothermic
A reference to an animal that gets some warmth by being near something that gives off heat.
thymergasia
Affective psychoses or the feelings that go with an idea or reaction to a stimulus, including feelings, emotions, and moods.
topothermesthesiometer (s) (noun), topothermesthesiometers (pl)
A device for determining the sense of temperatures in different parts of a person's body: A group of students received an award and cash compensation for their work on the topothermesthesiometer which was to be used by the dermatologists who were diagnosing temperature responses among patients.
transthermia
tribothermoluminescence (s) (noun), tribothermoluminescences (pl)
Shining results that take place when something is exposed to a high temperature that is produced in a material as a result of rubbing: When specific crystals are ground, they generate heat and so there appears to be a detectable tribothermoluminescence which can be measured by special instruments that are sensitive to detections of glittering sparks.
tribothermoluminescent (adjective), more tribothermoluminescent, most tribothermoluminescent
A reference to brightly candent elements coming from exposure to high temperatures that are produced in a material as a result of grinding, filing, fretting, etc.: The research assistants, Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Smith, were interested in determining the tribothermoluminescent differences between various crystals when they were ground up and produced heat and detectable light.
ultratherm
A short-wave diathermy machine.
Unit Test, Thermo (Heat, Hot) Words

Thermo Words, Quiz.


Unit Test, Thermo (Heat, Hot) Words

Thermo Words, Quiz.

Unit Test, Thermo (Heat, Hot) Words

Thermo Words, Quiz.


uterothermometry
Measurement of the temperature in the uterus.
vibrothermography
A nondestructive evaluation technique used to locate and identify regions of discontinuities in a variety of materials.

It is especially useful for detecting delaminations in advanced composite materials.

xenothermal
Applied to mineral deposits formed by hydrothermal action at high temperatures but at a shallow depth.

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-.