Thermostat
/ˈθɜːr.məˌstæt/noun
A device that automatically regulates temperature.
Did you know?Thermostat was coined in the 19th century from Greek roots, and its name literally frames temperature control as a kind of stopping or checking of heat rather than just measuring it.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
thermós
“hot, warm”
Ancient Greek
Greek
státēs
“one who causes to stand, stopper, regulator”
19th Century
English
thermostat
“a device for regulating temperature”
Modern English
English
thermostat
“an automatic temperature-regulating device”