geothermal
adjective
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Geothermal comes partly from the Greek thermos, "hot". Most geothermal electricity is provided by power plants situated in areas where there is significant activity of the Earth's great tectonic plates—often the same areas where volcanoes are found. But hot water from deep underground may be used by cities far from volcanoes to heat buildings or sidewalks. And a newer source of geothermal energy relies on a less dramatic kind of heat: Individual homeowners can now install heat pumps that take advantage of the 50°-60° temperature of the soil near the surface to provide heating in cold weather (and air-conditioning in the warm months). These very small-scale geothermal systems may eventually supply more useful energy than the large power plants.
Examples of geothermal in a Sentence
Zev Fima, CNBC, 17 June 2025
But unlike hydro, solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative energy sources, only nuclear can be fashioned into offensive weapons of mass destruction.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 June 2025
In a world-first engineering feat, the airport tapped into aquifers deep beneath the terminal to create a geothermal heating and cooling system.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
The challenge of uncertainty Luke Bolar, who leads external affairs for ClearPath, says that he is encouraged by the administration’s focus on next-generation nuclear and geothermal – potential baseload power sources that his organization has promoted for years.
—Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for geothermal
Cite this Entry
“Geothermal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geothermal. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
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geothermal
adjective
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