I think wikipedia is wrong or confusing here. A heat pump requires a thermal resevoir (something that doesn't change temperature much when you move heat to or from it) of some sort, usually the atmosphere, or in ground source heat pumps pipes running through the ground, but it can move heat in either direction.
> While air conditioners and freezers are familiar examples of heat pumps, the term "heat pump" is more general and applies to many heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) devices used for space heating or space cooling.
Basically what I would understand from the term heat pump in ordinary conversation would be an air conditioner intended for use in a heating dominated climate rather than a cooling dominated one, but there might be some regional differences in usage.
> While air conditioners and freezers are familiar examples of heat pumps, the term "heat pump" is more general and applies to many heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) devices used for space heating or space cooling.
Basically what I would understand from the term heat pump in ordinary conversation would be an air conditioner intended for use in a heating dominated climate rather than a cooling dominated one, but there might be some regional differences in usage.