Endothermic: meaning, definitions and examples

🌡️
Add to dictionary

endothermic

 

[ ˌendəˈθərmɪk ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

chemistry process

Endothermic refers to a reaction or process that absorbs heat from its surroundings. These processes usually require an input of energy to occur, resulting in a temperature drop in the environment. Common examples include melting ice and photosynthesis.

Synonyms

heat-absorbing, thermal absorbing

Examples of usage

  • The melting of ice is an endothermic reaction.
  • Photosynthesis in plants is an endothermic process.
  • In an endothermic reaction, heat is absorbed.
  • The evaporative cooling effect is due to endothermic processes.
  • Dissolving certain salts in water can be endothermic.

Translations

Translations of the word "endothermic" in other languages:

🇵🇹 endotérmico

🇮🇳 अंतर्गामी

🇩🇪 endotherm

🇮🇩 endotermik

🇺🇦 ендотермічний

🇵🇱 endotermiczny

🇯🇵 内因性の

🇫🇷 endothermique

🇪🇸 endotérmico

🇹🇷 endotermik

🇰🇷 내부 열의

🇸🇦 ذاتي الحرارة

🇨🇿 endotermní

🇸🇰 endotermický

🇨🇳 吸热的

🇸🇮 endotermičen

🇮🇸 innri hitauki

🇰🇿 эндофермик

🇬🇪 ენდოთერმული

🇦🇿 endotermik

🇲🇽 endotérmico

Word origin

The term 'endothermic' derives from the combination of the Greek prefix 'endo-', meaning 'inside' or 'within', and 'thermic', which comes from the Greek word 'thermos', meaning 'heat'. The concept was first coined in the 19th century as chemists began to classify chemical reactions according to the heat exchange with their surroundings. In contrast to exothermic reactions, which release heat, endothermic processes were identified as critical to understanding various physical and chemical phenomena, including phase transitions and biological processes. The term has since been widely adopted in the fields of chemistry, biology, and thermodynamics, becoming integral to the study of energy transfer in reactions.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #26,168, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.