GC: n

CT: The term thermal insulation can refer either to materials used to reduce the rate of heat transfer, or the methods and processes used to reduce heat transfer. Heat energy can be transferred by conduction, convection, radiation. Thermal insulation prevents heat from escaping a container or from entering a container. In other words, thermal insulation can keep an enclosed area such as a building warm, or it can keep the inside of a container cold. Insulators are used to minimize that transfer of heat energy. In home insulation, the R-value is an indication of how well a material insulates. The flow of heat can be reduced by addressing one or more of the three mechanisms of heat transfer and is dependent on the physical properties of the material employed to do this.

S: https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Thermal_insulation.html (last access: 30 December 2014)

N: 1. thermal (adj): 1756, “having to do with hot springs,” from French thermal (Buffon), from Greek therme “heat, feverish heat,” from PIE gwher- “to heat, warm” (cognates: Latin fornax “an oven, kiln,” formus “warm,” Old English wearm; see warm (adj.)). Sense of “having to do with heat” is first recorded 1837. The noun meaning “rising current of relatively warm air” is recorded from 1933.
insulation (n): 1848, “act of making (something) into an island,” noun of action from insulate. Transferred sense attested by 1798. Electrical sense is from 1767. The concrete sense of “insulating material” is recorded by 1870.
2. The process of insulating against transmission of heat.

S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=thermal&searchmode=none; http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=insulation&searchmode=none (last access: 30 December 2014). 2. TERMIUMPLUS.

SYN: heat insulation

S: TERMIUMPLUS

CR: energy, [heat-insulating material].