Word
kelvin
US/ˈkɛɫvən/
UK/kˈɛlvɪn/
Definitions
01scientific temperature unit
n. a unit of temperature used in science where zero is the coldest possible temperature.
n. the SI base unit of thermodynamic temperature, defined by the Boltzmann constant; zero kelvin represents absolute zero.
“Scientists measured the liquid nitrogen at 77 kelvins during the experiment.”
“At temperatures approaching zero kelvin, certain materials exhibit superconductivity, allowing electrical current to flow without resistance.”
Technical
Usage
The word is not capitalized when referring to the unit, and it does not take the word 'degree'.
Pitfall
The water is 300 degrees Kelvin.
The water is 300 kelvins.
Unlike Celsius or Fahrenheit, you do not use the word 'degrees' with kelvin. The unit itself is the kelvin.
02color temperature
n. a way to describe how 'warm' or 'cool' the light from a bulb looks.
n. a measure of the color character of a light source, based on the temperature of an ideal black-body radiator.
“I prefer light bulbs with a lower kelvin rating for a cozy, yellow glow.”
“Photographers often adjust their white balance to match the kelvin value of the ambient lighting to ensure accurate color reproduction.”
Technical
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“For example, an optimal computer at 10 Kelvin is 30 times more efficient than an optimal computer at room temperature, or 300 Kelvin.” “They compressed tiny samples inside a diamond-anvil cell to pressures between 50 and 110 gigapascals and heated them to more than 2,000 Kelvin using lasers.” Etymology
Of Celtic/Scottish Gaelic origin, possibly from caol (“narrow”) or coille (“wooded”) + abhainn (“river”). The surname is derived from the river. The surname was also possibly influenced by Calvert (Middle English calfhirde).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/kelvin