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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
Homes and buildings need to change to electric heat pumps for space and water heating.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 14 May 2024
That includes buying electric vehicles and replacing their natural gas appliances with electric appliances, such as heat pumps.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2024
Opponents argue that the change in billing policy won’t meaningfully encourage customers to adopt electric vehicles and heat pumps and will instead discourage energy conservation while punishing rooftop solar customers.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 9 May 2024
These units are effective at maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the home and can be coupled with a furnace or heat pump for year-round comfort.
—Sara Kendall, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
Kevin Kane is a co-founder of Green Homeowners United, a Milwaukee company that helps make people with older, drafty homes aware of subsidies for installing insulation, heat pumps and solar panels.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 1 May 2024
Electric furnaces and heat pumps will provide cooling and air conditioning, energy-efficient windows and insulation will seal out the cold, and batteries will provide backup power when the sun isn't shining.
—Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024
But with heat pumps, they’re powered by electricity.
—Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Apr. 2024
Electrical technologies like industrial heat pumps, electric resistance heaters, electric arcs and electromagnetic induction can provide the heat needed by industry, and some can achieve temperatures higher than fossil fuel combustion- — more than hot enough for any industrial process.
—Jeffrey Rissman, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heat pump.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1894, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near heat pump
Cite this Entry
“Heat pump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20pump. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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
More from Merriam-Webster on heat pump
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heat pump
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