radiator

Where does the word "radiator" come from? It comes from Latin radiāre, and was adopted directly into English (1830s).

Radiator’s story begins in Latin: radiāre meant “to emit rays.” To shine, to give off rays, from 'radius', ray. It reached English by 1830s as radiator. A hot-water radiator for heating buildings was devised by Franz San Galli in St Petersburg in 1855, and the word spread with central heating. Today, radiator means a device that gives off heat, such as a heater or a car's cooling unit.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient radiāre "to emit rays", to shine, to give off rays, from 'radius', ray.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1830s radiator "heater; cooler", a hot-water radiator for heating buildings was devised by Franz San Galli in St Petersburg in 1855, and the word spread with central heating.