Definition

1. Noun:
   • A temperature scale: The centigrade scale is a system for measuring temperature. It is defined by setting the freezing point of water at 0 degrees and the boiling point of water at 100 degrees under standard atmospheric pressure. This creates a scale of 100 equal intervals or degrees between these two fixed points.

Usage

• The centigrade scale is used worldwide for most scientific work and daily temperature reporting in most countries.
• It is important to specify "scale" when referring to the system of measurement itself, as opposed to just a temperature reading in degrees.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Most countries report weather temperatures using the centigrade scale.
  • The experiment required all measurements to be recorded on the centigrade scale.
  • Before the official rename, the centigrade scale was another name for the Celsius scale.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: While "centigrade" (meaning "hundred steps") accurately describes the 100-degree interval between the fixed points, the scale was officially renamed the "Celsius scale" in 1948 to honor the astronomer Anders Celsius. In modern scientific contexts, "Celsius" is the preferred term, though "centigrade" remains in common informal use.
• "A temperature on the centigrade scale": This phrase specifies that a given numerical value is a measurement within this particular system.
  • The sample was heated to 85 degrees on the centigrade scale.

Variants and Related Words

• Celsius scale (n): The modern, official name for the temperature scale previously known as the centigrade scale. They are technically synonymous in terms of the scale's definition.
• Degree Celsius (°C) (n): The unit of temperature on this scale.
  • Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

Synonyms

• Celsius scale: The direct synonym and modern name for the same temperature measurement system.

Notes on Meaning

• The term centigrade scale refers specifically to the . It is not used to describe how hot or cold something is; for that, one uses "degrees Celsius" or informally "degrees centigrade."
• It is distinct from other temperature scales like the Fahrenheit scale or the Kelvin scale.

Noun

1. a temperature scale that defines the freezing point of water as 0 degrees and the boiling point of water as 100 degrees