Meaning & use
thermals
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“thermals” is a form of “thermal”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralinformalBritish
Warm underwear made of thick or layered fabric that you wear in cold weather to keep heat in.
Grammar: Always plural with this meaning: wear thermals under your jeans.
Patterns
- wear thermals
- thermals under something
I put on my thermals before the long hike.
Thermals are essential for winter camping.
She packed two pairs of thermals for the ski trip.
nounpluralspecialist
Columns of warm air rising from the ground that birds and glider pilots use to gain height without effort.
Grammar: Plural of thermal; used in nature and flying.
Patterns
- catch thermals
- ride thermals
The eagle rose in slow circles on the thermals.
Glider pilots search the sky for strong thermals.
Thermals form over dark fields on sunny afternoons.
nounpluralinformaltechnical
Images made by a camera that detects heat rather than light.
Grammar: Informal, often in police or military contexts: they checked the thermals.
Patterns
- check the thermals
Rescuers used thermals to locate the missing hiker.
The thermals showed two people inside the building.
Firefighters scanned the thermals for hot spots.
Word forms
| singular | thermal |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear thermals
- Wear thermals if you plan to sit outside.
- rising thermals
- Vultures soar on rising thermals.
- long-sleeved thermals
- Long-sleeved thermals kept me warm on the fishing trip.
- catch a thermal
- The glider managed to catch a thermal and climb.
- thermals under your clothes
- Thermals under your clothes add warmth without bulk.
Synonyms and how they differ
- long johns
- Long johns are specifically thermal trousers, an older and more humorous term.
- base layers
- Base layers is the sporty term for thermal clothing and covers tops and bottoms.
- updrafts
- Updrafts are any rising air, while thermals are rising because the ground has warmed.
- warm underwear
- This is a plain description and lacks the idea of special insulating fabric.
Word family
- thermal adjective
- relating to heat
- thermally adverb
- in a way relating to heat
- thermometer noun
- a tool for measuring temperature
- thermos noun
- a flask that keeps drinks hot or cold
Commonly confused: thermals or thermostats?
thermals vs thermostats
Thermostats are devices that control temperature, whereas thermals are warm clothing or rising air.
Practice
The hawk circled higher without flapping, carried up by warm ____ rising from the field.
Choose one answer.
Thermals are columns of rising warm air that birds use to gain height. Thermostats and thermometers are instruments.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “thermals”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.