thermostat Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a regulator for automatically regulating temperature by starting or stopping the supply of heat
    thermoregulator.
  2. verb control the temperature with a thermostat

WordNet

Ther"mo*stat noun
Etymology
Thermo- + Gr. to make to stand.
Definitions
  1. (Physics) A self-acting apparatus for regulating temperature by the unequal expansion of different metals, liquids, or gases by heat, as in opening or closing the damper of a stove, or the like, as the heat becomes greater or less than is desired.

Webster 1913