an instrument for detecting and measuring heat radiation or for generating a thermoelectric current. It consists of a number of thermocouple junctions, usually joined together in series
Word origin
C19: from thermo- + pile1 (in the sense: voltaic pile)
thermopile in American English
(ˈθɜrmoʊˌpaɪl)
noun
a device consisting of a series of thermocouples, used for measuring minute changes in temperature or for generating thermoelectric current