superheat

[ noun soo-per-heet; verb soo-per-heet ]

noun
  1. the state of being superheated.

  2. the amount of superheating.

verb (used with object)
  1. to heat to an extreme degree or to a very high temperature.

  2. to heat (a liquid) above its boiling point without the formation of bubbles of vapor.

  1. to heat (a gas, as steam not in contact with water) to such a degree that its temperature may be lowered or its pressure increased without the conversion of any of the gas into liquid.

Origin of superheat

1
First recorded in 1855–60; super- + heat

Other words from superheat

  • su·per·heat·er, noun

Words Nearby superheat

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

How to use superheat in a sentence

  • This more particularly applies to the electrical water, superheat and vacuum readings.

    Steam Turbines | Hubert E. Collins
  • It was 11AM in Florida and she was into her second glass of lemonade as the sun began to superheat the air.

    Makers | Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for superheat

superheat

/ (ˌsuːpəˈhiːt) /


verb(tr)
  1. to heat (a vapour, esp steam) to a temperature above its saturation point for a given pressure

  2. to heat (a liquid) to a temperature above its boiling point without boiling occurring

  1. to heat excessively; overheat

Derived forms of superheat

  • superheater, noun

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 superheat

superheat

[ sōō′pər-hēt ]


  1. To heat a substance above a phase-transition temperature without the transition occurring. For example, water can be heated above its boiling point without boiling; the introduction of an impurity or physical disturbance can then trigger boiling. Superheating is an example of hysteresis. Compare supercool.

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