dead band
n.— «At night, the nanostats are set to “dead band,” a term coined by the university that means that the temperature in the room must be held within a broadened range, reducing the amount of intense heating or cooling required.» —“University studies energy-saving technology” by Kelley Hascall Daily Nebraskan (Lincoln) Oct. 12, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A young listener wonders: Why do the words icing and frosting both refer to the idea of being cold? The names for this sweet cover on a cake refer to its appearance, not its temperature. Something similar occurs with the glaze in glazed doughnut...
Cat hair may be something you brush off, but cat hair is also a slang term that means “money.” In the same way, cat beer isn’t alcoholic — some people use cat beer as a joking term for “milk.” And imagine walking on a...