Solars

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A system of units or tools that harness energy from the sun, typically used for generating electricity or heating
2. Technology related to capturing solar energy for various applications, including residential and commercial uses
3. Devices designed to convert sunlight into usable power, contributing to renewable energy solutions and sustainability efforts

Etymology: "Solars" is simply the plural of "solar," but the adjective has a twisted ancestry. Its main line runs from Latin "sol" (sun) through "sōlāris," meaning "of the sun," which reached English in Late Middle English. That is the sense behind the modern technology: harnessing the sun's energy. The surprise is that this sun-word has a second, unrelated parent. In Middle English, "solar" (or "soler") was a separate word for an upper room or loft, descended from Latin "sōlārium," a terrace or roof-chamber, and Old English "solor" or "salor," meaning a hall or dwelling, traced back to Proto-Germanic "salaz," meaning house or hall. Over time these two streams merged into one spelling, so an English word for a dwelling and a Latin word for the sun ended up looking identical.

Synonyms: solar systems, solar panels, solar energies, solar devices, solar arrays