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.

chronothermometer (s) (noun), chronothermometers (pl)
A clock that has components for the function of showing temperatures: A chronothermometer is a timepiece or chronometer that includes an anti-compensated balance-wheel which is used to indicate mean temperature.
colpotherm
A device used for measuring the temperature of the vagina, said to be useful for detecting ovulation.
cutaneous thermoreceptor
Nerve endings that come in two varieties, cold receptors and warm receptors.

Also referred to as peripheral receptors although these include, besides cutaneous receptors, those in the mucosae or lubricating membranes lining an internal surface or an organ; such as, the alimentary (a tubular passage functioning in the digestion and absorption of food and the elimination of food residue, beginning at the mouth) respiratory (breathing), and genitourinary canals (relating to both the reproductive and excretory organs).

diathermacy
The quality of being diathermic.
diathermal
1. Heated by high-frequency electromagnetic radiation.
2. Freely permeable by radiant heat.
diathermancy
The property of being diathermic or diathermanous; perviousness to radiant heat; diathermaneity.
diathermaneity
The quality of being diathermanous.
diathermanism
The doctrine or the phenomena of the transmission of radiant heat.
diathermanous
1. Having the property of freely transmitting radiant heat.
2. A description of a substance or a space that allows the passage of heat; especially, one that is highly conductive to heat.
diathermia
diathermic
diathermous
diathermy
1. The therapeutic passing of high-frequency electric currents through the body by means of external electrodes in order to generate heat within the body.
2. Medical diathermy, in which the tissues are warmed but not sufficiently to change their nature.
3. Surgical diathermy, in which there is sufficient heating to produce a local change such as destruction of tissue or coagulation of bleeding vessels.
4. Local elevation of temperature within the tissues, produced by high frequency current, ultrasonic waves, or microwave radiation.
dynatherm
An apparatus for inducing diathermy.
dysthermesthesia (s) (noun), dysthermesthesias (pl)
A disorder of the sense of temperature or heat perception: Because of the dysthermesthesia which had developed, Mary was unable to detect heat on surfaces and had to be very careful when working in the kitchen.

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-.