thermos
/ˈθɝ.məs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.65 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A bottle, flask or similar vessel having a vacuum between its inner and outer silvered walls; designed to maintain the temperature of its contents
noun
A unit of measure whose identification remains very unclear.
Example Sentences
- "The mnaeion contains 4 gold pieces, 16 quarters, 64 thermoi, 128 carats. The gold piece contains 4 staters [sic for quarters], 16 thermoi, 32 carats. The thermos contains 2 carats. The quarter contains 4 thermoi, 8 carats. The thermos contains 2 carats.[…]The mnaeion has sixteen (16) quarters and the quarter has 6 thermoi, twelve (12) carats. The thermos has 2 carats, so that the mnaeion consists of 96 thermoi, 192 carats. The mnaeion weighs 8 drachmas, the quarter three obols, the thermos one-half obol, the carat 2 chalci.[…]Thermoi of 2 and of 1½ siliquae are attested in metrological writings (MSR II 180, s.v. θέρμοϲ); ½ ob. per thermus^([sic]) in 18 implies the lighter weight, as 1 ob. = 3 sil.[…]The mnaeion has 16 quarters and the quarter has (4 or 6) thermoi…"
- "1 saton (seʾah) = 1/3 ephah (see above for correction) = 2/3 bath / mina by weight = 50 shekels / ¼ shekel = 4 thermoi / shekel = 16 thermoi and one weight (?)"
- "A third of a seah is a third of an ephah, and two-thirds of a bath, and the weight of a mina is fifty of shekels, and a quarter of a shekel is the weight of four thermoi.ᵍ Let the shekel be about sixteen thermoi and of one weight.[…]g. “thermoi”—A unit of measure whose identification remains very unclear."
Etymology
Genericization of the trademark Thermos, from Ancient Greek θερμός (thermós, “warm”). Possibly related to English warm.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *gʷʰer-, θερμός
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈθɝ.məs/
- British English: /ˈθɜː.mɒs/