Definition of British thermal unit

1. Noun. A unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit at one atmosphere pressure; equivalent to 251.997 calories.

Exact synonyms: B.th.u., Btu
Generic synonyms: Energy Unit, Heat Unit, Work Unit
Group relationships: Therm

Definition of British thermal unit

1. Noun. The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit at a particular temperature (there are several different precise definitions) and a pressure of one atmosphere. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Medical Definition of British thermal unit

1. Unit of energy needed to raise one pound of water by one degree fahrenheit. It is equal to 252 calories or 1055 Joules. Acronym: BTU (13 Nov 1997)

Lexicographical Neighbors of British Thermal Unit

British capacity unit
British capital
British empiricism
British gum
British invasion
British monetary unit
British overseas territory
British people
British pound
British racing green
British racing greens
British shilling
British spelling
British spellings
British system
British thermal unit
British thermal units
Britisher
Britishers
Britishification
Britishism
Britishisms
Britishness
Britney
Britneys
Briton
Britons
Britpop
Britrock

Literary usage of British thermal unit

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Thermodynamics of the Steam-engine and Other Heat-engines by Cecil Hobart Peabody (1889)
"heat required to raise one kilogram of water from freezing- point to one degree Centigrade; and a British thermal unit, that required to raise one pound ..."

2. Mechanics by Lewis Raymond Smith (1922)
"The British thermal unit (Btu) is the amount of heat necessary to raise 1 Ib. of water 1 degree Fahrenheit in temperature. If 10 Ib. of water are raised 4° ..."

3. Steam, Its Generation and Use by Babcock & Wilcox Company, John B. Litto, Steven C. Stultz (1913)
"British thermal unit — The quantitative measure of heat is the British thermal unit, ordinarily written B. tu This is the quantity of heat required to raise ..."

4. The Steam Engine by George Charles Vincent Holmes (1895)
"... their graduation and defects — Quantity of heat— Specific heat—British thermal unit—Capacity of substances for heat— Relation between heat and work —The ..."

5. Electricity in Mining by Sydney Ferris Walker (1907)
"The British thermal unit Perhaps before going any further we had better understand what is meant by the heat unit, or, as it is termed in scientific ..."

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