Temperature
/ˈtɛmp(ə)rətʃər/noun
The degree of heat present in a body or environment.
Did you know?In Latin, temperature comes from temperare, “to mix in due proportion,” a verb tied to restraint, moderation, and the careful balancing of forces.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*temp-
“to stretch, extend; later associated in Latin with fitting, mixing, or proportioning”
Latin
Latin
temperare
“to mix in due proportion; to moderate, restrain, govern”
Late Latin
Latin
temperatura
“a proper mixing or moderation; a state of being tempered”
Old French
Old French
temperature
“moderation; due proportion; condition of being tempered”
14th–15th Century
English
temperature
“moderation or due proportion, especially in bodily or environmental conditions”
Modern English
English
temperature
“the degree of heat in a body or environment”
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