Etymology
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Celsius

1797 in reference to the type of thermometer; 1812 in reference to the scale of temperatures, from the name of Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701-1744) inventor of the centigrade scale in 1742. His family name is a Latinized translation of Högen, the name of the family estate in Sweden, taken as "mound," from Latin celsus "raised, high, lofty, great" (from PIE root *kel- (2) "to be prominent; hill"). 

Entries linking to Celsius

*kel- (2)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to be prominent," also "hill."

It forms all or part of: colonel; colonnade; colophon; column; culminate; culmination; excel; excellence; excellent; excelsior; hill; holm.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit kutam "top, skull;" Latin collis "hill," columna "projecting object," cellere "raise;" Greek kolōnos "hill," kolophōn "summit;" Lithuanian kalnas "mountain," kalnelis "hill," kelti "raise;" Old English hyll "hill," Old Norse hallr "stone," Gothic hallus "rock."

centigrade (adj.)

"consisting of 100 degrees, divided into 100 equal parts," 1799, from French, from centi- "hundred" (see centi-) + second element from Latin gradi "to walk, go, step" (from PIE root *ghredh- "to walk, go"). The centigrade thermometer (see Celsius) divides the interval between the freezing and boiling points of water into 100 degrees.

updated on November 17, 2022

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Dictionary entries near Celsius

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© 2001-2022 Douglas Harper