geothermal
|ge-o-ther-mal|
🇺🇸
/ˌdʒiː.oʊˈθɝməl/
🇬🇧
/ˌdʒiː.əʊˈθɜːməl/
heat from the Earth
Etymology
'geothermal' originates from Greek, specifically the prefix 'geo-' meaning 'earth' and the word 'therme' meaning 'heat'.
'geothermal' was formed in English in the mid-19th century from Greek elements 'geo-' + 'thermē' (via New Latin/scientific coinage) and became the modern English term 'geothermal'.
Initially it literally combined 'earth' + 'heat'; over time it came to refer specifically to the Earth's internal heat and technologies that use that heat (e.g., geothermal energy, geothermal power).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
short for geothermal energy: heat from the Earth's interior used for heating or to generate power.
Iceland generates a large share of its power from geothermal.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to or produced by the internal heat of the Earth.
We installed a geothermal heating system.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/16 14:55