degree-day
or de·gree day
[ dih-gree-dey ]
/ dɪˈgriˌdeɪ /
noun Engineering.
Origin of degree-day
First recorded in 1925–1930
Words nearby degree-day
degree,
degree day,
degree of curve,
degree of difficulty,
degree of freedom,
degree-day,
degression,
degressive,
degu,
degum,
degust
British Dictionary definitions for degree day (1 of 2)
degree day
noun
a day on which university degrees are conferred
British Dictionary definitions for degree day (2 of 2)
degree-day
noun
a unit used in estimating fuel requirements in heating buildings. It is equal to a fall of temperature of 1 degree below the mean outside temperature (usually taken as 18°C) for one day
Scientific definitions for degree day
degree-day
A unit of measurement equal to a difference of one degree between the mean outdoor temperature on a certain day and a reference temperature. The unit is most often used in estimating the energy needs for heating or cooling a building (for example, heating degree-days and cooling degree-days). Originally, degree-days were used to determine the relationship between temperature and plant growth. The term continues to be used in life sciences as a measure of upper- and lower-temperature limits for organisms.