Afterheat

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The thermal energy that is present after a heat source is withdrawn can be described as lingering warmth that persists following the heating process
2. Heat that remains in an object once the original source has been removed
3. Warmth retained in a material that lingers after active heating ceases

Etymology: "Afterheat" is a plain compound: "after-" meaning "following in time" joined to "heat." Its sense, the warmth an object keeps once the thing that produced it has been taken away, follows directly from that combination. A cooling oven still radiates warmth after it is switched off, and that lingering warmth is the afterheat. The word's chief use is technical. Engineers and cooks alike talk about afterheat when planning how long a surface stays dangerous to touch, or how much residual warmth a material will release as it cools. The meaning is literal from start to finish, with no shift from concrete to abstract.

Synonyms: residual heat, remaining heat