heat pump

noun

: an apparatus for heating or cooling (such as a building) by transferring heat by mechanical means from or to an external reservoir (such as the ground, water, or outside air)

Examples of heat pump in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Sense can analyze data from the new meters in real time and tell you how much power your new heat pump is using when the temperature drops or how many watts your big-screen TV is drawing even when it’s turned off. Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, 3 Sep. 2026 The winery also has solar panels that generate about 100,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, more than enough to cover its energy needs, along with heat pumps and a system that cleans and reuses wastewater. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026 More mechanical cooling, through conventional air-conditioning or less carbon-intensive technologies like heat pumps and geothermal systems, seems inevitable, even in France. Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 The improvement was largely driven by higher consumer purchases of battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, as well as batteries for home energy storage and electric heat pumps. Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heat pump

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heat pump was in 1894

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Cite this Entry

“Heat pump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20pump. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

heat pump

noun
: a device for heating or cooling a building by transferring heat contained in a fluid to or from the building

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