This article reviews the historical development and up-to-date state of thermometric technologies for measuring human bodytemperature (BT) from two aspects: measurement methodology and signifi cance interpretation. Since the fi rst systematic andcomprehensive study on BT and its relation to human diseases was conducted by Wunderlich in the late 19th century, BThas served as one of the most fundamental vital signs for clinical diagnosis and daily healthcare. The physiological implicationof BT set point and thermoregulatory mechanisms are briefl y outlined. Infl uential determinants of BT measurement areinvestigated thoroughly. Three types of BT measurement, i.e., core body temperature, surface body temperature and basalbody temperature, are categorized according to its measurement position and activity level. With the comparison of temperaturemeasurement in industrial fi elds, specialties in technological and biological aspects in BT measurement are mentioned. Methodologies used in BT measurement are grouped into instrumental methods and mathematical methods. Instrumentalmethods utilize results of BT measurements directly from temperature-sensitive transducers and electronic instrumentationsby the combination of actual and predictive measurement, invasive and noninvasive measurement. Mathematical methodsuse several numerical models, such as multiple regression model, autoregressive model, thermoregulatory mechanism-basedmodel and the Kalman fi lter-based method to estimate BT indirectly from some relevant vital signs and environmental factors. Thermometry modalities are summarized on the dichotomies into invasive and noninvasive, contact and noncontact,direct and indirect, free and restrained, 1-D and n-D. Comprehensive interpretation of BT has an equal importance as themeasurement of BT. Two modes to apply BT are classifi ed into real-time applications and long-term applications. With rapidadvancement in IoT infrastructure, big data analytics and AI platforms, prospects for future development in thermometryand interpretation of BT are discussed.