temperature Hear it!

temperature definition

tem·pera·ture (tempər ə c̸hər, -prə c̸hər, -pər-, -pə-)

noun

  1. a measure of the quantity of heat in an object, usually as measured on a thermometer; specif.,
    1. the degree of heat of a living body
    2. an excess of this over the normal (c. 37°C or c. 98.6°F in humans); fever
    3. the degree of heat of the atmosphere
  2. Obsolete temperament

Etymology: L temperatura < temperatus, temperate

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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