geothermal
adjective
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Geothermal comes partly from the Greek thermos, "hot". Most geothermal electricity is provided by power plants situated in areas where there is significant activity of the Earth's great tectonic plates—often the same areas where volcanoes are found. But hot water from deep underground may be used by cities far from volcanoes to heat buildings or sidewalks. And a newer source of geothermal energy relies on a less dramatic kind of heat: Individual homeowners can now install heat pumps that take advantage of the 50°-60° temperature of the soil near the surface to provide heating in cold weather (and air-conditioning in the warm months). These very small-scale geothermal systems may eventually supply more useful energy than the large power plants.
Examples of geothermal in a Sentence
Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
The act preserves a slower timeline for phasing out subsidies for nuclear, geothermal and hydrogen projects, which take far longer to build than wind and solar farms.
—Daniel Cohan, The Conversation, 9 July 2025
The bill retains incentives for technologies such as advanced nuclear, geothermal and hydropower through 2032.
—Matthew Daly, Fortune, 1 July 2025
While permitting and policy execution remain hurdles, Indonesia’s geothermal resources and resource base offer long-term upside for green, AI-ready facilities.
—Piyush Jain, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Geothermal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geothermal. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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geothermal
adjective
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