latent heat

See synonyms for latent heat on Thesaurus.com
nounPhysics.
  1. heat absorbed or radiated during a change of phase at constant temperature and pressure.

Origin of latent heat

1
First recorded in 1750–60

Words Nearby latent heat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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British Dictionary definitions for latent heat

latent heat

noun
  1. (no longer in technical usage) the heat evolved or absorbed by unit mass (specific latent heat) or unit amount of substance (molar latent heat) when it changes phase without change of temperature

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for latent heat

latent heat

[ lātnt ]


  1. The quantity of heat absorbed or released by a substance undergoing a change of state, such as ice changing to liquid water or liquid water changing to ice, at constant temperature and pressure. The latent heat absorbed by air when water vapor condenses is ultimately the source of the power of thunderstorms and hurricanes. See also heat capacity.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for latent heat

latent heat

The heat released or absorbed when matter undergoes a change of phase (see phases of matter). If the heat is given off during the change from a liquid to a solid, it is called heat of fusion. If it is given off during the change from a gas to a liquid, it is called heat of vaporization.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.