effective temperature

effective temperature

n.

A comfort index or scale that takes into account the temperature of air, its moisture content, and movement.

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effective

exerting a measurable effect.

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effective circulating volume

that part of the blood volume that is effectively perfusing the tissues at a particular time.

effective focus

see effective focal spot.

effective refractory period

time interval during which the effector cell remains unresponsive after a previous reaction to a stimulus: see also refractory period.

effective temperature

an expression of the temperature combined with humidity and wind speed.

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temperature

the degree of sensible heat or cold, expressed in terms of a specific scale. See also hypothermia, hyperthermia.

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absolute temperature

that reckoned from absolute zero (−459.67°F or −273.15°C).

air temperature

the temperature of the surrounding air as measured by a dry-bulb thermometer.

ambient temperature

temperature of the immediate environment.

body temperature

a prime technique for assessing health status of a patient. Always a rectal temperature. Average temperatures above which hyperthermia, pyrexia or fever can be said to occur are listed under pyrexia.

critical temperature

1. that below which a gas may be converted to a liquid by pressure.

2. the environmental temperature at which the body is unable to maintain a constant body temperature and at which heat production must be increased (cold temperatures) or at which heat loss must be increased (high temperatures).

effective temperature

the combination of air temperature, humidity and wind speed. See also temperateness index.

environmental temperature

air temperature.

nonpermissive temperature

one at which a conditional gene mutation is nonfunctional. See also temperature-sensitive mutation.

normal body temperature

that usually registered by a healthy animal. See pyrexia.

permissive temperature

one at which a conditional gene mutation can express its normal function. See also temperature-sensitive mutation.

premortal temperature fall

the sudden fall in body temperature of a previously fevered animal just before death.

rectal temperature

the body temperature as measured by a rectal thermometer which has been in situ and in contact with the mucosa of the rectum with the anal sphincter tightly closed for at least 30 seconds. Alternative equipment is a dipolar electrode in a rectal probe.

temperature stress

exposure to excessively high or low environmental temperature.

windchill temperature

a combination of wind velocity and air temperature. See also effective temperature (above).