hypocaust

English

Hypocaust from the Roman Baths at Bath, England. The floor has been removed to reveal the pillars of the hypocaust.

Underfloor heating pipes, before they are covered by the screed.

Etymology

From Latin hypocaustum, from Ancient Greek ὑπόκαυστον (hupókauston), from Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó, “underneath”) + καίειν (kaíein, “to light a fire, burn”).

Noun

hypocaust (plural hypocausts)

1. An underfloor space or flue through which heat from a furnace passes to heat the floor of a room or a bath.
2. An underfloor heating system, even without such an underfloor space or flue, as adapted for modern housing.

Synonyms

• (underfloor flue): hippocaust
• (heating system): floor heating, underfloor heating

Translations

underground heating system for a bath

• Catalan: hipocaust m
• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: hypokausti
• French: hypocauste (fr) m
• German: Hypokaustum n, Hypokauste f, Heizgewölbe n
• Italian: ipocausto m
• Japanese: ハイポコースト (haipokōsuto)
• Korean: 고래 (ko) (gorae), 온돌 (ko) (ondol), 구들 (gudeul), 구돌 (gudol) (obsolete)
• Latin: hypocaustum n, hypocauston n
• Russian: гипока́уст (ru) m (gipokáust)
• Spanish: hipocausto (es)
• Swedish: hypokaust c
• Turkish: hipokaust

See also

• hypocaust on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Underfloor heating on Wikipedia.Wikipedia