Calefaction

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌkælɪˈfækʃən/

Definitions

1. The process of heating something up or causing it to become warm
2. An act of raising temperature or making an object hot
3. The state or act of warming by application of heat or heat energy

Etymology: Calefaction is a near-twin of "calefy," a rare English verb meaning to make warm, and both trace back to Latin verbs built around the idea of making something hot. The noun itself was borrowed directly from Latin "calefactiō," the act of heating, which is formed from "calefacere," "to make warm." That Latin verb is a compound of "calere," "to be warm," and "facere," "to make" or "do," so the word literally describes the making of heat. The Latin roots reach back to Proto-Italic and further into Proto-Indo-European, where "calēre" and "facere" each descend from older forms of very ancient verbs. The English noun follows the regular Latin pattern: "-factiō" becomes "-faction," the same ending found in words like "satisfaction" and "liquefaction."

Synonyms: heating, warming, thermal energy, heat, temperature increase

Antonyms: cooling, chilling, refrigeration, coldness, decrease