noun
temperature
TEHM-pruh-chuh
noun
1
A measurement of how hot or cold something is.
"The temperature dropped below freezing overnight."
2
A body temperature higher than normal, indicating fever or illness.
"The child had a temperature, so we kept her home from school."
How to Use Temperature
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHow hot or cold something is, or (informally) a fever.
Common pairings
take someone's temperature
room temperature
run a temperature
Word Forms
temperatures plural
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The _____ dropped below freezing overnight.
Etymology
From Latin temperātūra, from the same root as "temper" — originally referring to a proper mixture or proportion.