Celsius: meaning, definitions and examples
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Celsius
[ ˈsɛlsɪəs ]
temperature scale
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius, who developed a similar temperature scale in 1742. On the Celsius scale, water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees under standard atmospheric conditions.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- The temperature today is 20 degrees Celsius.
- You need to set the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- The Celsius scale is widely used in most countries.
- In Celsius, the freezer is typically set to -18 degrees.
Etymology
The term 'Celsius' originates from the name of the Swedish scientist Anders Celsius, who introduced his temperature scale in 1742. Initially, his scale was based on the boiling and freezing points of water, but it was later reversed by heralding freezing at 0 degrees and boiling at 100 degrees. This change made the scale more practical and intuitive for everyday use. The name 'Celsius' was officially adopted by the International System of Units (SI) in 1948, although the term 'Centigrade' was also commonly used prior. Celsius is now the most commonly used temperature scale worldwide, particularly in scientific contexts and everyday life, due to its simplicity and ease of conversion to Kelvin, another widely recognized scientific temperature scale.