Celsius
Definition
noun
- a metric scale of temperature on which 0° is the point at which water freezes and 100° is the point at which water boils under average atmospheric conditions.(Note It is usually written as a C after the degree sign: 52° C (say: ‘fifty-two degrees Celsius’).)
COMMENT To convert Celsius temperatures to Fahrenheit, multiply by 1.8 and add 32. So 20° C is equal to 68° F. Celsius is used in many countries, though not in the US, where the Fahrenheit system is still preferred.
Derivation
Described 1742. After Anders Celsius (1701–1744), Swedish astronomer and scientist.