heatmap

This term is primarily used in technical, analytical, and scientific contexts. In data science and web analytics, it describes a tool for visualizing user behavior, where "hot" colors like red indicate high activity and "cool" colors like blue indicate low activity. This creates a visual shorthand for density and frequency without requiring the viewer to parse raw numerical tables.

In engineering and physics, the term refers to literal thermal imaging. The distinction between the two uses is usually clear from the context—whether the "heat" refers to a metaphorical intensity of data or an actual physical temperature.