thermal
adjectivenounverbattested in dialogue
- Canada//ˈθɝməl//
- Australia//ˈθɜːməl//
Pertaining to heat or temperature.
adjective
- 1
Pertaining to heat or temperature.
Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads.
- 2
Providing efficient insulation so as to keep the body warm.
- 3
Caused or brought about by heat.
- 4
Having a rough finish from treatment with a blowtorch.
Etymology
From French thermal, from New Latin *thermalis, from Ancient Greek θέρμη (thérmē, “heat”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰer- (“to heat, warm”).
noun
- 1
A column of rising air in the lower atmosphere created by uneven heating of a planet's surface.
The hawk had mounted its thermal by the time he got to the yard, flapping its wings violently against the updraft.
- 2
FLIR.
- 3
thermocline.
verb
- 1
To create a rough finish on stone by treating it with a high-temperature blowtorch.
- 2
To fly an unpowered aircraft in a thermal (column of rising air).
Forms
- plural
- thermals
- past tense
- thermaled, thermalled
- past participle
- thermaled, thermalled
- present participle
- thermaling, thermalling
- third person singular
- thermals