Convection
//kənˈvɛkʃən// noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The process of conveying something. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 2 the transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused by molecular motion wordnet
- 3 The transmission of heat in a fluid by the circulation of currents. countable, uncountable
"The mantle is important to our discussion in that its viscous nature can conduct convection currents that have effects on the crust upon which we live."
- 4 (meteorology) the vertical movement of heat or other properties by massive motion within the atmosphere wordnet
- 5 The vertical movement of heat and moisture, especially by updrafts and downdrafts in an unstable air mass. The terms convection and thunderstorm are often used interchangeably, although thunderstorms are only one form of convection. Towering cumulus clouds are visible forms of convection. countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"Radiation and convection carry that energy outward to the star's surface and to its atmosphere beyond."
Etymology
From Latin convectiōnem, from convectiō (“act of carrying”), from convect-, past participle stem of convehō (“to carry together”), combination of com- and vehō.
Related phrases
More for "convection"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.