Peltiers

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Electronic modules that transfer heat from one side to the other when electric current flows through them, used for precise temperature control
2. Solid-state cooling or heating units that operate by passing electricity through semiconductors to create a temperature difference between their surfaces
3. Thermoelectric components employing the Peltier effect to pump heat in a desired direction without moving parts or refrigerants

Etymology: "Peltiers" is the plural of "Peltier," a surname that became a common noun for the devices built around the Peltier effect. The effect is named after Jean Charles Athanase Peltier, the French physicist who first described it. When an electric current passes through a junction of two dissimilar conductors, heat is absorbed at one side of the junction and released at the other, so one side cools while the other warms. Engineers now use the term for the thermoelectric coolers that exploit this effect, so one unit is a Peltier and several are Peltiers.