Plain English Meaning
A way of measuring how hot or cold something is. On this scale, freezing water is 32 and boiling water is 212.
Full Definition
A unit of temperature measurement on the Fahrenheit scale, in which water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees at standard sea level pressure. Written as °F.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation weather, aircraft manuals, performance charts, and test questions when temperature is shown as °F.
Derivation
Named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, the 18th-century German physicist who developed the scale. Knowing it's a person's name helps explain why the scale's reference points (32 and 212) seem arbitrary — they reflect his original calibration choices, not round numbers.