thermistor – type of resistor where the resistance changed according to temperature

(pronounced thur-mis-tuh)

Note: Thermistor is a combination of the words "thermal" and "resistor".

Another way to remember the meaning of thermistor, use the following mnemonic:

Wearing thermals, Mr (thermistor) Bean resisted changing the temperature (resistance, changes according to temperature) in his house.

A thermistor is a type of resistor whose resistance changes significantly with temperature, making is useful as a temperature sensor. 

The name comes from combining the words "thermal resistor".

The most common type of thermistor is known as an NTC (negative temperature coefficient), where resistance decreases as temperature increases. This happens because as the thermistor gets hotter, more charge carriers (e.g. electrons) become available in the semiconductor material it's made from, allowing current to flow more easily. 

Thermistors are used in various applications such as thermostats, temperature monitoring systems, and electrons circuits where temperature control is important.