hypocaust
/ˈhaɪpəˌkɔːst/
noun
- An ancient Roman system of underfloor heating, in which hot air from a furnace circulated through spaces beneath the floor and inside the walls.
- The ruins of the Roman bathhouse still show the hypocaust system that heated the rooms.
- Archaeologists discovered a well-preserved hypocaust beneath the mosaic floor.
- Wealthy Romans used a hypocaust to keep their villas warm during the winter.