hypocaust: Meaning and Definition of

hy•po•caust

Pronunciation: (hī'pu-kôst", hip'u-), [key]
— n.
  1. a hollow space or system of channels in the floor or walls of some ancient Roman buildings that provided a central heating system by receiving and distributing the heat from a furnace.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.