Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Latin
Origin: temperatura 'mixture', from temperare; TEMPER2


Related topics: Temperature
tem‧pera‧ture S2 W2
1 [uncountable and countable] a measure of how hot or cold a place or thing isCOLLOCATIONS COLLOCATIONS
at a temperature of something high temperature low temperature a rise in temperature a fall/drop in temperature a temperature change/a change in temperature the temperature rises/goes up (=it gets warmer) the temperature falls/drops/goes down (=it gets colder) a constant temperature (=one that does not change much) room temperature (=neither hot nor cold) air/water/body temperature (=how hot or cold the air, water, or someone's body is) temperatures soar (=the weather becomes very hot)
temperature of
The temperature of the water was just right for swimming.
Water boils at a temperature of 100°C.
The seeds should be stored at low temperatures.
a gradual rise in ocean temperatures
It took me a few days to become accustomed to the change in temperature.
In summer, the temperature can rise to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
The temperature in New York dropped to minus 10° last night.
The refrigerator keeps your food at a constant temperature.
Red wine should be served at room temperature.
Exercise raises your body temperature.
The sun beat down and temperatures soared into the 30s.

somebody's temperature

MH the temperature of your body, especially used as a measure of whether you are sick or not:
The nurse took (=measured) my temperature.

have a temperature

also be running a temperature to have a body temperature that is higher than normal, especially because you are sick:
Susie has a temperature and has gone to bed.
4 [countable] the temperature of a situation is the way people are reacting, for example whether they are behaving angrily or calmly:
The referee's decision to give a penalty raised the temperature of the match.

Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?

Explore our topic dictionary