Piezoelectricity (/ ˌ p iː z oʊ -, ˌ p iː t s oʊ -, p aɪ ˌ iː z oʊ -/, US : / p i ˌ eɪ z oʊ -, p i ˌ eɪ t s oʊ -/) is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials—such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA, and various proteins —in response to applied mechanical stress. The word piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from pressure and latent heat. It is derived from Ancient Greek πιέζω (piézō) 'to squeeze or press' and ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron) ' amber ' (an ancient source of static electricity). The German form of the word (Piezoelektricität) was coined in 1881 by the German physicist Wilhelm Gottlieb Hankel ; the English word was coined in 1883.