a. Physics. [a. F. calorifique:—L. calōrific-us heat-making: see -FIC.]
1. Producing heat.
1682. Grew, Anat. Plants (J.). A calorifick principle is either excited within the heated body, or transferred to it.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, II. ii. 161. Luminous and Calorifique Bodies.
1861. H. Macmillan, Footnotes fr. Page Nature, 197. The sunbeam … divided into actinic, luminous, and calorific rays.
1869. Tyndall, Notes Lect. Light, § 246. The non-luminous calorific rays may be thus transformed into luminous ones.
2. loosely. Of or pertaining to heat; thermal.
1812. Sir H. Davy, Chem. Philos., 67. Active powers, such as gravitation, cohesion, calorific repulsion or heat.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 22. 151. Trusting to the sun and my own motion to make good the calorific waste.
