Durchlauferhitzer

German

Etymology

durchlaufen (to run through) +‎ Erhitzer (heater)

Pronunciation

  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)

Noun

Durchlauferhitzer m (strong, genitive Durchlauferhitzers, plural Durchlauferhitzer)

  1. tankless heater
  2. (figurative, often somewhat derogatory) pipeline (process or institution that mostly serves to induct or prepare for a separate, more principal stage, despite assumptions or presumptions of stand-alone importance)
    • 2012 February 9, Alexandra Werdes, “Ärztemangel: Bauer sucht Arzt”, in Die Zeit[1], archived from the original on 15 February 2012:
      »Die Krankenhäuser waren früher nur Durchlauferhitzer – wer nicht Chefarzt wurde, hat als Facharzt seine eigene Praxis aufgemacht«, sagt Köpf.
      "In the past, hospitals were nothing but a pipeline - if you didn't become head physician, you left to practice on your own as a specialist," Köpf says.

Declension

Further reading