thermoelectricity

noun

ther·​mo·​elec·​tric·​i·​ty ˌthər-mō-i-ˌlek-ˈtri-sə-tē How to pronounce thermoelectricity (audio)
-ˈtri-stē
: electricity produced by the direct action of heat (as by the unequal heating of a circuit composed of two dissimilar metals)

Examples of thermoelectricity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Recently, a team devised a way to create thermoelectricity by coupling the sun’s warmth with the coldness of space by putting a material that radiates heat into outer space on top of one that absorbs warmth from the surrounding air. IEEE Spectrum, 18 Feb. 2023 Another idea is creating electricity through thermoelectricity, converting variations in temperature into electric voltage. Alex Davies, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2015 Thermoelectricity—or electricity produced through temperature differences—originated in 1821 when Thomas Seebeck and Jean Peltier discovered the conversion of heat to electricity. Kristen A. Schmitt, Smithsonian, 10 Apr. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thermoelectricity was in 1823

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Cite this Entry

“Thermoelectricity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermoelectricity. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

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