the degree of hotness of a body, substance, or medium; a physical property related to the average kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules of a substance a body temperature in excess of the normal
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
tem•per•a•ture /ˈtɛmpərətʃɚ, -ˌtʃʊr, -prə-/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Physics, Thermodynamicsa measure of the warmth of an object with reference to a standard scale: [countable]very cold temperatures this winter.[uncountable]a sudden change in temperature.
- Pathology, Physiology[countable]
- the degree of heat in a living body, normally about 98.6°F (37°C) in humans:The nurse took my temperature.
- a fever:The baby has a temperature.
tem•per•a•ture
(tem′pər ə chər, -chŏŏr′, -prə-, -pər chər, -chŏŏr′),USA pronunciation n.
- Physics, Thermodynamicsa measure of the warmth or coldness of an object or substance with reference to some standard value. The temperature of two systems is the same when the systems are in thermal equilibrium.
- Pathology, Physiology[Physiol., Pathol.]
- the degree of heat in a living body, normally about 98.6°F (37°C) in humans.
- the excess of this above the normal.
- [Obs.]mildness, as of the weather.
- [Obs.]temperament.
- Latin temperātūra a tempering. See temperate, -ure
- 1525–35
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