heat-treatment
|heat-treat-ment|
/ˈhiːtˌtriːtmənt/
apply controlled heat to change material properties
Etymology
'heat-treatment' originates as an English compound of 'heat' and 'treatment', where 'heat' comes from Old English 'hǣtu' meaning 'warmth' and 'treatment' derives from Old French 'traitement' (from Latin 'tractare') meaning 'to handle or treat'.
'heat' comes from Old English 'hǣtu' and 'treatment' developed from Old French 'traitement' (from Latin 'tractare'); the compound 'heat treatment' arose in Modern English to name procedures that apply heat, later sometimes written with a hyphen as 'heat-treatment' in technical contexts.
Initially these elements separately referred to 'warmth' and 'handling'; over time the compound came to denote the specific technical processes of applying controlled heat to change material properties.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a controlled process of heating and cooling metals or other materials (e.g., alloys, glass, ceramics) to alter their physical and mechanical properties, such as hardness, strength, ductility, or toughness (includes processes like annealing, quenching, tempering).
The heat-treatment improved the steel's toughness without sacrificing hardness.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the application of heat in food processing or sterilization to kill microorganisms or deactivate enzymes (e.g., pasteurization, sterilization).
Proper heat-treatment is essential to ensure the milk is safe for consumption.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/13 18:16