geothermal

adjective

geo·​ther·​mal ˌjē-ō-ˈthər-məl How to pronounce geothermal (audio)
: of, relating to, or utilizing the heat of the earth's interior
also : produced or permeated by such heat
geothermal steam
geothermal regions
geothermally adverb

Did you know?

Geothermal comes partly from the Greek thermos, "hot". Most geothermal electricity is provided by power plants situated in areas where there is significant activity of the Earth's great tectonic plates—often the same areas where volcanoes are found. But hot water from deep underground may be used by cities far from volcanoes to heat buildings or sidewalks. And a newer source of geothermal energy relies on a less dramatic kind of heat: Individual homeowners can now install heat pumps that take advantage of the 50°-60° temperature of the soil near the surface to provide heating in cold weather (and air-conditioning in the warm months). These very small-scale geothermal systems may eventually supply more useful energy than the large power plants.

Examples of geothermal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There’s also geothermal heating and cooling, along with solar panels, a generator, and on-site parking for up to 100 vehicles. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2024 Piece of the puzzle For its part, Google sees SMRs as just one component of a clean-energy strategy that also includes wind, solar and geothermal. Michael Franco, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2024 Miners are increasingly exploring renewable energy sources like hydro and geothermal, enhancing bitcoin's reputation as one of the most sustainable industries worldwide. Liam Wright, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 Bottom line: Dandelion is looking to use its tech and its vertical integration to lower the costs and grow the amount of geothermal HVAC systems deployed. Katie Fehrenbacher, Axios, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for geothermal 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'geothermal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

geo- + thermal entry 1

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of geothermal was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near geothermal

Cite this Entry

“Geothermal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geothermal. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

geothermal

adjective
geo·​ther·​mal ˌjē-ō-ˈthər-məl How to pronounce geothermal (audio)
variants also geothermic
-mik
: of, relating to, or using the heat of the earth's interior
also : produced by such heat
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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