thermostat

/ˈθɝmoʊstæt/noun

A device that senses temperature changes and switches heating or cooling on or off to keep a room at a chosen setting.

Example sentences

“It's freezing in here — can you turn up the thermostat?”
“We set the thermostat to sixty-eight degrees at night to save energy.”

The 'thermo' root means heat, as in thermometer and thermal. Household phrase: 'turn up the thermostat'.

Often confused with thermostat

thermostat vs thermometer

Related words

furnaceA machine that produces heat to warm a building.radiatorA device that releases heat, such as the part of a car that cools the engine or a metal unit that warms a room.boilerA machine that heats water or another liquid so the heat can be carried through a system.mantelThe shelf over a fireplace, which can also help support the chimney structure above it.plumbingThe network of pipes, taps, tanks, and related fittings that carry water, gas, or waste through a building.fireplaceA recessed hearth built into a wall at the bottom of a chimney, where a fire can burn indoors.