Celsius
/ˈsɛl.si.əs/noun
A temperature scale in which water freezes at 0° and boils at 100° under standard pressure.
Did you know?Celsius was named after Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius, who proposed a temperature scale in 1742, and the original version was actually reversed: 0 marked boiling and 100 marked freezing.
Etymological Timeline
18th Century
Swedish
Celsius
“A surname belonging to Anders Celsius, the astronomer who proposed the scale.”
1742
Swedish
Celsius scale
“A temperature scale with fixed points for water's freezing and boiling temperatures.”
18th Century
English
Celsius
“The temperature scale named after Anders Celsius.”
Modern English
English
Celsius
“The standard metric temperature scale used in most of the world.”