Pyroelectric

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A phenomenon observed in specific materials that enables the generation of electric charges when subjected to temperature changes
2. Pertaining to the capability of certain substances to produce electrical energy in response to heating or cooling effects
3. A property of certain materials that causes them to generate electrical voltage when exposed to fluctuations in temperature

Etymology: Pyroelectric is a plain technical compound, and its history is simply the sum of its two halves. The first half, "pyro-", comes from Ancient Greek "pûr", meaning fire, so the word is literally "fire-electric." The second half traces back to Greek "ḗlektron", the name for amber, which was prized for the static charge it picked up when rubbed. The Romans borrowed that name as "ēlectrum," and scholars later built "electric" from it, in the sense of a substance that attracts light objects when rubbed. Pyroelectric was formed in English by joining "pyro-" to "electric." Its meaning is the one the compound suggests: certain crystals produce an electric charge when they are heated. The word is a modern scientific coinage built from classical parts, so the ancient Greeks would not have recognised it, though they knew both the fire and the amber it draws on.