You searched for: “electric
electric
1. Of or having to do with electricity.
2. Charged with electricity; such as, an electric battery.
3. Containing, producing, arising from, or actuated by electricity, or designed to carry electricity and capable of doing it.

Examples are electric energy, electric lamp, electric eel, electric vehicle, and electric motor.

4. Carrying electricity, or designed to carry electricity.
5. Run by electricity; for example a musical instrument like an electric guitar, producing sounds electronically through a speaker.

Electric, in many cases is used interchangeably with electrical, and it is often restricted to the description of particular devices or to concepts relating to the flow of electric current; such as, an electric fire or an electric charge.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 4) -ic (page 50)
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A unit related to: “electric
(Greek > Latin: electric, electricity; from amber, resembling amber, generated from amber which when rubbed vigorously [as by friction], produced the effect of static electricity)
(Named after the Italian physician and physicist who investigated the nature and effects of what he conceived to be electricity in animal tissue; who in 1762 discovered and first described voltaic electricity; electric currents; and primarily, direct electrical current.)
Word Entries containing the term: “electric
atmospheric electric field (s) (noun), atmospheric electric fields (pl)
The atmosphere's electric field strength in volts per meter at any specified point in time and space near the Earth's surface and in fair-weather areas: A typical datum is about 100 and the field is directed vertically in such a way as to drive positive charges downward.

An atmospheric electric field is a quantitative term indicating the electric field strength of the atmosphere at any specified point in space and time.
An atmospheric electric field is also a measure, in volts per meter, of the electrical energy in a given portion of the Earth's atmosphere at a given time.

This entry is located in the following units: atmo-, atm- + (page 3) electro-, electr-, electri- (page 1) sphero-, spher-, -sphere- (page 3)
dielectric strength, electric strength (s) (noun); dielectric strengths, electric strengths (pl)
The ability of a dielectric material to withstand high voltages without breaking down; expressed as the highest voltage required per millimeter of material thickness before a breakdown occurs: The dielectric strength is the maximum electrical potential gradient that a material can withstand without rupture; usually specified, in volts per millimeter of thickness.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 3)
electric accounting machines
A data-processing machines which are primarily electromechanical in nature; such as, sorter, collectors, and tabulators.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 4)
electric and magnetic fields
Forces created by the presence of an electric current, and electric charge, or a magnet.

The existence of an electric field is made known by its effect on another electric charge, and the existence of a magnetic field can be made known by its effect on another magnet.

A field around a magnet or an electric current will deflect a small magnet; such as, a compass needle, in a particular direction when it is placed in such a field.

The direction in which the north pole of the magnet points is normally called the direction of the field and the direction of the field generally follows curved lines of force.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 4) -etic, -etics (page 6)
electric anesthesia
A temporary anesthesia caused by the passage of an electric current through a part of the body.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 4)
electric arc
1. A discharge of electricity through a gas, normally characterized by a voltage drop approximately equal to the ionization potential of the gas.
2. A luminous discharge of current that is formed when a strong current jumps a gap in a circuit or between two electrodes.

Electric arcs across specially designed electrodes can produce very high heat and bright light, and are used for such purposes as welding and illumination in spotlights.

Unwanted arcs in electrical circuits can cause fires and lightning is an example of an electric arc between one cloud and the earth or another cloud, as are sparks caused by discharges of static electricity.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 4)
electric arc furnace, electric-arc furnace, arc furnace
1. A type of electric furnace in which heat is generated by an arc between carbon electrodes above the surface of the material, commonly a metal, which is being heated.
2. A furnace used to heat materials with the energy from an electric arc.
3. An electric furnace in which an electric arc provides the source of heat for making steel.
4. A steel-making apparatus which uses high-quality scrap or ore with the polluting elements eliminated.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric arc heating, electric-arc heating, arc heating
1. The heating of a material by the heat energy from an electric arc, which has a very high temperature and very high concentration of heat energy.
2. The heating of matter by an electric arc.

The material may be solid, liquid, or gaseous and when the heating is direct, the material to be heated is one electrode; but for indirect heating, the heat is transferred from the arc by conduction, convection, or radiation.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric arc lamp, electric-arc lamp, arc lamp
1. An electric lamp in which the light is produced by an arc made when current flows through ionized gas between two electrodes.
2. A general term for a class of lamps which produce light by an electric arc or a voltaic arc.

The lamp consists of two electrodes, typically made of tungsten, that are separated by a gas.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric arc spraying, electric-arc spraying
A thermal spraying process with an electric arc as a heat source and with compressed gas to propel the material.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric battery
1. Any of a class of devices, consisting of a group of electrochemical cells which convert chemical energy into electrical energy.
2. Two or more primary cells connected together, usually in a series, to provide a source of electric current.
3. A direct-current voltage source made up of one or more units that convert chemical, thermal, nuclear, or solar energy into electrical energy.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric blackboard
A telephone-connected display board which receives and enlarges transmitted data in graphic or digital form.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric blood warmer
A device for heating blood before infusions; especially, in cases of massive transfusions in which cold blood might cause a state of shock to the body of the patient.

The electric blood warmer includes a container with an electric heater and space for the insertion of a disposable blood-warming bag composed of parallel plastic tubes.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric blue
A harsh, bright, slightly greenish blue.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric boiler
1. A steam generator that uses electrical energy as a heat source.
2. A steam generator using electric energy, in immersion, resistor, or electrode elements, as a source of heat.
3. A tank in which water is heated, or hot water is stored, and which is controlled by an electric current.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric brake, electromagnetic brake
1. A braking system whose force is supplied by an adjustable spring counteracted by a solenoid, a centrifugal thruster, and an actuator, in which the actuating force is supplied by current flowing through a solenoid or an electromagnet.
2. An emergency braking system which is automatically applied to an electric-powered apparatus when a power failure occurs.
3. An electric brake design in which the electromagnet is a small disc (spot) attached to an actuating lever is supplied by current flowing through a solenoid, or through an electromagnet which is attracted to disks on the rotating member, actuating the brake shoes.

This force is counteracted by the force of a compression spring.

4. The contact component of an electric braking system.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5) -etic, -etics (page 7)
electric braking
1. In an electrically driven vehicle, a system in which a motor acts as a generator, returning energy to the contact braking element.
2. The process of applying any type of electric brake.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric breeze
1. A stream of ions repelled from an electrified point.
2. A brush discharge like that which is used in therapeutics.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric burn
The tissue damage or burn resulting from heat generated by an electric current.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric cable
A protected bundle of wires to carry an electric current.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5)
electric car, electromobile (s) (noun); electric cars, electromobiles (pl)
1. A passenger vehicle that is powered exclusively by an electrochemical power source, or partially so powered; such as, a hybrid electric car.
2. An automobile powered by a motor supplied with electric current from a storage battery or other device; such as, a fuel cell.

Electric cars were popular between the late 1890's and 1910 and interest in them has revived with new methods of generating electrical power.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 5) mobil-, mobi- (page 1)
electric cautery
1. The cauterization (burning) of tissue using electric current to generate heat.
2. The application of a needle or snare heated by electric current for the destruction of bodily tissue; such as, for removing warts or polyps and cauterizing small blood vessels to limit blood loss during a surgical procedure.
This entry is located in the following units: caust-, caus-, caut-, cauter-, cau- + (page 2) electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric cell
1. A single unit of a primary or secondary battery that converts chemical energy into electric energy.
2. A single unit of a device that converts radiant energy into electric energy, such as a nuclear, solar, or photovoltaic cell.
3. A device; such as, a battery, that is capable of changing some form of energy including chemical energy or radiant energy, into electricity.
4. A container holding materials that produce electricity by chemical action.

A battery consists of one or more electric cells.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric chair
A chair used in electrocuting criminals condemned to death or a sentence of death in such a chair.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric charge
1. One of the basic properties of elementary particles that give rise to all electric and magnetic forces and interactions; these properties are given negative and positive algebraic signs and measured in coulombs.

An electron has a negative charge, and a proton has a positive charge.

2. The amount of electricity accumulated in a body by the gain or loss of electrons.
3. An accumulation of electricity in a storage battery, capacitor, etc., which may be discharged.
4. The quantity of electricity that flows in electric currents or which accumulates on the surfaces of dissimilar nonmetallic substances that are rubbed together briskly.

A charge can be positive or negative and one positive charge can combine with one negative charge, and the result is a net charge of zero.

Two objects that have an excess of the same type of charge repel each other, while two objects with an excess of opposite charges attract each other.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric chopper
1. A chopper (a device that interrupts an electric current or a beam of radiation) in which an electromagnet driven by a source of alternating current sets into vibration a reed carrying a moving contact that alternately touches two fixed contacts in a signal circuit, that periodically interrupts the electrical signal.
2. A fundamental property of matter in which it exhibits two states, positive and negative, that result in the action of electric forces in the presence of an electric field.
3. A chopper apparatus that uses an electromagnet driven by an AC source to vibrate a reed which periodically interrupts an electrical contact.

A chopper is a device for interrupting an electric current, a beam of light, or a beam of infrared radiation at regular intervals, to permit amplification of the associated electrical quantity or signal by an alternating-current amplifier. It is also used to interrupt a continuous stream of neutrons to measure velocity.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric circuit
1. An unbroken path of material that carries electricity via an electrical conductor; such as, copper wire.

Electric lights, televisions, radios, and other electrical instruments function because of an electric circuit that starts at a power plant which generates electricity and ends up where people have outlets that allow the electric current to perform.

2. The path of the electron flow from a generating source through various components and back to the generating source.
3. A closed path that conveys an electric current through a conducting material which can be made of ionized gases or ionized liquids, but metals are most commonly used.

The most simple electric circuit consists of a source of electricity; such as, a battery and a conducting material as a wire

Current flows from the positive terminal of the battery through the wire to the negative terminal.

A resistor; such as, a light bulb can be added to the circuit, as can a switch that can be used to open the wire. Current flowing through the wire will light the bulb unless the switch is used to cut the circuit off.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric circuits
Electric charges, at rest and/or in motion, which are the fundamental sources of electric and magnetic fields.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric clock
1. A mechanical clock with a pendulum or a balance wheel that is kept in motion by an electromagnetic switch turned on and off regularly by contacts or by an electronic circuit.
2. A clock in which the first wheel of the going train is the rotor of a synchronous electric motor whose speed is entirely controlled by the frequency of the alternating current.
3. Any clock that is operated by electric power; specifically, a clock driven by an alternating-current motor whose current has a definite frequency, controlled at the generator.
4. A clock that is powered by electricity instead of powered manually (winding) or by other sources of energy; specifically, in order to wind the mainspring or to drive the pendulum or oscillator.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric coil, inductance coil, inductor
A number of turns of wire used to introduce inductance into an electric circuit, to produce magnetic flux, or to react mechanically to a changing magnetic flux.

In high-frequency circuits, a coil may be only a fraction of a turn.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric comparator
1. A circuit that compares two input signals, which may be digital or analog, but that always results in a digital-signal output.
2. A comparator in which movement results in a change in some electrical quantity that is then amplified by electrical means.

A comparator is a device used to inspect a gaged part (thickness of a metal sheet, a rod, or a wire) for deviation from a specified dimension, by mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, or optical procedures.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric conductor, electrical conductor, conductor
Any of various substances that allow the flow of electric current or thermal energy.

Electrical conductors are used to conduct electric current, as in the metal wires of an electric circuit.

Electrical conductors are usually metallic while thermal conductors allow thermal energy to flow because they do not absorb radiant heat and they include materials; such as, metal and glass.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric connection
A direct wire path for electric current between two points in a circuit.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric connector
A tool which joins electric conductors (various substances that allow the flow of electric current or thermal energy) mechanically and electrically to other conductors and to the terminals of apparatus and equipment.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 6)
electric contact (noun), contact; electric contacts (pl)
1. A physical contact that permits electric current flow between conducting parts.
2. A metal strip in a switch or socket that touches a corresponding strip in order to make a connection for electric current to pass: "Some electric contacts are made of precious metals in order to avoid corrosion."
electric contactor (noun), contactor; electric contactors (pl)
A heavy-duty electrical relay used to control electric power circuits.
electric control
1. Any electrical device; such as, a switch or a potentiometer (a resistor with three terminals, the third being an adjustable center terminal; used to adjust voltages in radios and TV sets), which is used to vary a circuit parameter.
2. The control of a machine by electric switches, relays, rheostats, or a resistor designed to allow variation in resistance without breaking the electrical circuit of which it is a part.
3. The control of a machine or instrument by switches, relays, or rheostats, as contrasted with electronic control by electron tubes or by devices which do the work of electron tubes.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric controller
1. An apparatus that regulates or governs in some predetermined manner the amount of electric power which is delivered to an apparatus.
2. An instrument which regulates the electric power that is delivered to a piece of machinery, a tool, or a device which is used for a specific purpose.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric converter, synchronous converter, converter (s) (noun); electric converters; synchronous converters; converters (pl)
1. A converter in which motor and generator windings are combined on one armature and excited by one magnetic field: A synchronous converter is normally used to change alternating to direct current and is also known as a converter or electric converter.
2. A synchronous device used to convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC), or the reverse: The AC-to-DC converter, provided by the synchronous converter, has been replaced by a mercury arc rectifier (for reasons of efficiency, lower maintenance costs, and fewer problems) or by motor-generator sets.

This entry is located in the following units: chrono-, chron- (page 6) electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7) syn-, sy-, sym-, syl-, sys- (page 4)
electric corona (s) (noun), electric coronas (pl)
A discharge of electricity appearing as a bluish-purple glow on the surface of and next to a conductor when the voltage gradient exceeds a certain critical value resulting from the ionization of the air in the area around the high voltage.
This entry is located in the following units: coron-, coroll- (page 1) electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric coupling
1. A magnetic-field coupling between the shafts (cylindrical pieces of metal used to carry rotating machine parts) of a driver and the vehicle being driven.
2. A rotating machine whose torque is transmitted or controlled by electric or magnetic processes.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric current density, current density
The current per unit of a cross-sectional area of a conductor.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric current meter, ammeter
1. An instrument that is used for measuring the magnitude of electric current flow.
2. A device which is used to measure the magnitude of an electric current of several amperes or more.

An ammeter is usually combined with a voltmeter and an ohmmeter in a multipurpose tool.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric current, current electricity, current
1. The time rate of flow of an electric charge, in the direction that a positive moving charge would take and having magnitude equal to the quantity of charge per unit of time measured in amperes.
2. Charged particles, most often electrons, moving through a conductor or transmitter; such as, copper and aluminum.
3. A flow of charged particles; such as, electrons or protons, accompanied by the field which they generate.
4. Movement of electric charge carriers.

In a wire, electric current is a flow of electrons that have been dislodged from atoms and is a measure of the quantity of electrical charge passing any point of the wire per unit of time.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric cutout, cutout
1. Pairs (two conductors employed to form an electric circuit) that are brought out of a cable and terminated at some place other than at the end of the cable.
2. An electrical instrument which is used to interrupt the flow of current through any special apparatus or instrument, either automatically or manually.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric delay line
1. An instrument which postpones an electric signal's arrival time in a circuit by employing capacitive (a system that enables it to store an electric charge) and inductive properties (production of an electromotive forces).
2. A delay line that uses properties of lumped or distributed capacitive and inductive elements.

It can be used for signal storage by recirculating information-carrying wave patterns.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric desalting
1. A method for removing impurities from crude oil by settling out in an electrostatic field.
2. A process used to remove impurities; such as, inorganic salts from crude oil by settling them out (gravity separation of heavy from light materials) in an electrostatic field.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric detonator
1. An explosive device activated by a fuse wire that initiates the operation of a primer.
2. A detonator ignited by a fuse wire which serves to touch off the primer.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric dipole
1. A localized distribution of positive and negative electricity, without a net charge, whose mean positions of positive and negative charges do not coincide.
2. A pair of equal and opposite electric charges, the centers of which do not coincide.
3. Any object or system which is oppositely charged at two points, or poles; such as, a magnet or a polar molecule.
4. A pair of equal and opposite charges an infinitesimal distance apart from each other.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric dipole moment
A quantity that is characteristic of a charge distribution, equal to the vector sum over the electric charges of the product of the charge and the position vector of the charge.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7)
electric dipole transition (s) (noun), electric dipole transitions (pl)
The primary process by which an atom produces or absorbs radiation when it changes from one energy level to another one: An electric dipole transition takes place when an oscillating electric field interacts with the electric dipole (a separation of positive and negative charges) movement of an electron inside an atom during which an electric radiation is discharged or absorbed.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 7) trans-, tran-, tra- (page 1)
electric discharge lamp, electric-discharge lamp, discharge lamp, gas-discharge lamp, vapor lamp
1. An electric lamp in which the light comes from an electric discharge between two electrodes in a glass tube.
2. A lamp in which light is produced by an electric discharge between electrodes in a gas (or vapor) at low or high pressure.
3. A lamp that uses the transmission of an electric current through a gas or vapor to produce illumination. Neon, mercury and argon lamps are examples of electric-discharge lamps.
4. A lamp whose light is produced by current flow through a gas or vapor in a sealed glass enclosure.

Examples of these lamps include argon glow, mercury-vapor, neon glow, and sodium-vapor.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric discharge tube, electric-discharge tube, discharge tube
An evacuated enclosure (removal of gases and vapors) containing a gas at low pressure, through which current can flow when sufficient voltage is applied between metal electrodes in the tube.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric discharge, discharge, gaseous electric discharge
1. A transient or continuous conduction of electricity through a gas by the formation and movement of electrons and ions in an applied electric field.
2. The flow of electricity through a gas, resulting in the emission of radiation that is characteristic of the gas and of the intensity of the current.
3. The removal of a charge from a battery, capacitor, or other electric-energy storage device.
4. The passage of electricity through a gas, usually accompanied by a glow, arc, spark, or corona.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric disintegration
Removal of metal by an electric spark acting in the air.

It is primarily used where precise control is not required; such as, for removing broken drills and taps.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8) integ- (page 1)
electric displacement, dielectric displacement, dielectric flux density, electric displacement density, electric flux density, electric induction
The electric field intensity multiplied by the permittivity (measure of the ability of a nonconducting material to retain electric energy when placed in an electric field) or the property of a dielectric medium which determines the forces that electric charges placed in the medium exert on each other.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric distribution system, distribution system
Circuitry associated with or involving high-voltage switchgear, step-down transformers, voltage dividers, and other related equipment used to receive high-voltage electricity from a primary source and redistribute or route it at lower voltages to substations or other points of applications.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric double layer, electrical double layer, double layer, double ionic layer
1. A process that takes place at a solid-liquid interface.

It is made up of ions of one charge type which are fixed to the surface of the solid and an equal number of mobile ions of the opposite charge which are distributed through the neighboring region of the liquid.

2. The area of a charge separation formed when an electrode meets an ionic conductor.

A metal electrode in a water solution forms a specific structure consisting of the metal surface itself, an adjoining layer of adsorbed (adhesion to the surfaces of solids) water molecules and ions, and an outer region of oppositely charged ions diffused in the liquid.

This causes an electric field of considerable intensity.

3. An interfacial region, near the boundary between two different phases of a substance, in which physical properties change significantly.
4. A structure that appears on the surface of a charged object when it is placed into a liquid.

This object might be a solid particle, a gas bubble, a liquid droplet, or a porous body.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric doublet, doublet, dipole
1. Any object or system that is oppositely charged at two points, or poles; such as, a magnet or a polar molecule. 2. Any object or system that has equal magnitudes but opposite signs or which is oppositely charged at two points, or poles.

This includes a magnet or a polar molecule; more precisely, it is the limit as either charge goes to infinity, the separation distance to zero, while the product remains constant.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric drive
1. An electromechanical device which transmits motion from one shaft to another shaft while controlling the speed ratio of the shafts.
2. A mechanism that transmits motion from one shaft to another and controls the velocity ratio of the shafts by electrical means.
3. An automatic transmission in which a generator, connected with the engine, supplies power to a separate electric motor or motors; which drive the wheels.

It is used in buses, trucks, and Diesel locomotives.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric dynamometer
An electric generator or motor equipped with a display that indicates torque.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric eel
An eel-like, freshwater fish that often achieves a length of six feet and is capable of emitting strong electric discharges produced by electric organs consisting of modified muscle tissue situated along the ventral, or lower, part of the body.

Found in South American Amazon and Orinoco rivers and tributaries. They produce powerful electric shocks to stun prey, or for defense, sufficient to immobilize a large mammal.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric eels (lexicomedy)
A battery of electric eels.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8) Venereal Terms: Names of Groups (page 7)
electric energy
1. The energy inherent in an array or ordered arrangement of charged particles because of their relative positions.
2. The energy constituent in a circuit because of its position in relation to a magnetic field.
3. The energy of electric charges or currents because of their positions in an electric field.
4. The integral with respect to time of the instantaneous power input or power output of a circuit or appliance.

The basic unit is the watthour.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric energy measurement
The measurement of the integral (entire, complete), with respect to time, of the power in an electric circuit.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric energy meter
A tool that measures the integral (an essential part or whole), with respect to time, of the power in an electric circuit.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 8)
electric engine, electric propulsion system, electric rocket
1. In rocketry, a reaction engine in which the propellant is accelerated by an electrical device.
2. A rocket engine in which the propellant is accelerated by some electric device.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric fence
1. A wire fence containing high-voltage, low-current intermittent pulses that are activated when the fence is touched.
2. A fence consisting of one or more lengths of wire energized with high-voltage, low-current pulses, and giving a warning shock when touched.
3. A wire fence carrying an electric current which gives a mild electric shock to any human or animal that touches it.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric field
1. A region in space in which lines of force produced by an electric charge exert a force on other electric charges.
2. A region in space in which a stationary electric charge experiences a force due to its charge.
3. The area around an electrically charged body in which other charged bodies are acted on by an attracting or repelling force.
4. The lines of force exerted on charged ions in the bodily tissues by the electrodes that cause charged particles to move from one pole to another pole.
5. One of the fundamental fields in nature, causing a charged body to be attracted to or repelled by other charged bodies.

Associated with an electromagnetic wave or a changing magnetic field.

The electric field is stronger where the field lines are close together than where they are farther apart.

The value of the electric field has dimensions of force per unit charge and is measured in units of newtons per coulomb.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric field effect, Stark effect
1. The effect on spectrum lines of an electric field which is either externally applied or is an internal field caused by the presence of neighboring ions or atoms in a gas, liquid, or solid.
2. The effect of an electric field on spectrum lines.

The electric field may be externally applied; but in many cases it is an internal field caused by the presence of neighboring ions or atoms in a gas, liquid, or solid.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric filter, electric wave filter, frequency selective device, frequency-selective device
1. A circuit that passes selected frequencies of alternating currents while weakening other frequencies.
2. A network that transmits alternating currents of desired frequencies while substantially attenuating all other frequencies.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric firing mechanism
A firing mechanism which uses a firing magneto, battery, or alternating-current power in circuit with an electric primer.

One side of the line is connected by an insulated wire to the primer, and the other side is grounded to the frame of the weapon.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9) mechano-, mechan-; mechanico-; machin- (page 1)
electric fish
Any of several fish that produce an electric shock by means of special organs; such as, the electric eel, electric ray, or the electric catfish.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric flowmeter
A fluid-flow measurement device relying on an inductance or impedance bridge or on electrical-resistance rod elements to sense flow-rate variations.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric force
A force between two objects such that each has the physical property of charge.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric forming
1. A process in which electric energy is applied to a device; such as, a semiconductor, so as to permanently change its electrical characteristics.
2. The procedure used when applying electric energy to a semiconductor or other device to permanently modify its electrical characteristics.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric furnace
1. A furnace in which the heat required is produced with electricity.
2. Any furnace which by using the heating effect of an electric current, allows very high temperatures to be achieved.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric fuse, fuse
A safety device that protects electric circuits from the effects of excessive electric currents.

A fuse commonly consists of a current-conducting strip or wire of easily fusible metal; whenever the circuit is made to carry a current larger than that for which it is intended, the strip melts to interrupt it.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric gathering locomotive, gathering motor, gathering locomotive, gathering mine locomotive
A lightweight type of electric locomotive used to haul loaded cars from working places to the main haulage road and to replace them with empty cars.
electric generator, generator
1. A machine which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.

In its most common form, a large number of conductors are mounted on an armature which is rotated in a magnetic field produced by field coils.

2. A vacuum-tube oscillator or any other non-rotating device that generates an alternating voltage at a desired frequency when energized with direct-current power or low-frequency alternating-current power.
3. A circuit that generates a desired repetitive or non-repetitive waveform; such as, a pulse generator.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric guitar
1. A guitar with a built-in contact microphone that amplifies sound produced by the guitar strings and allows various adjustments of characteristics of the sound.
2. A guitar in which a contact microphone placed under the strings picks up the acoustic vibrations for amplification and for reproduction by a loudspeaker.

Volume and tone controls are usually also available.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 9)
electric hare
An electrically driven, artificial hare or rabbit, which is run on a track, that the dogs chase in a race.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric heat, electric heating
Any method or process in which electric energy becomes heat energy by resisting the free flow of electric current; such as, radiant heating.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric hygrometer
1. An electrical instrument that measures the humidity of the atmosphere.
2. A tool for indicating by electrical means the humidity of the ambient atmosphere.

It is usually based on the relation between the electric conductance of a film of hygroscopic material and its moisture content.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric hysteresis, ferroelectric hysteresis, dielectric hysteresis
The dependence of the polarization of ferroelectric materials not only on the applied electric field but also on their previous history.

It is similar to magnetic hysteresis in ferromagnetic materials.

Hysteresis is the lag between making a change; such as, increasing or decreasing electric power, and the response or effect of that change.

It usually refers to turn-on and turn-off points in electrical, electronic, and mechanical systems.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric ignition
1. The ignition system in an automobile or internal-combustion engine that ignites the combustible mixture in the engine cylinders with a high-voltage, high-tension spark produced between metal points in a spark plug.
2. Ignition of a charge of fuel vapor and air in an internal-combustion engine by passing a high-voltage electric current between two electrodes in a combustion chamber.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric image
1. An array of electric charges, either stationary or moving, in which the density of charge is proportional at each point to the light values of corresponding points in an optical image to be reproduced.
2. An electric charge measured from an arbitrary reference line which is used in finding the electric field set up by fixed electric charges in the area of a conductor.

The electric conductor, with its distribution of induced surface charges, is replaced by one or more of these fictitious charges.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric impedance
The opposition to electron flow in a conducting material.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10) ped-, pedi-, -pedal, -ped, -pede, -pedia (page 2)
electric instrument
An electricity-measuring tool which indicates an ammeter or voltmeter, in contrast to an electric meter that records.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric intensity, electric field intensity, electric field strength
The magnitude of an electric field at a point in the field that is equal to the force that would be exerted on a small unit charge placed at that point.

The electric field is the set of all values of the electric field strength, but electric field and electric field intensity (as well as electric field strength and electric vector) are used more or less interchangeably.

The trend is to use an electric field both for the field taken as a whole and for its value at any point with a context being sufficient to determine the precise meaning.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric knife
A surgical instrument that uses electrical current to produce heat, that incises (cuts into) tissue by cauterization (use of heat to destroy abnormal tissue).
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric lamp, electric lamps
An electric lamp in which light is produced; such as, an incandescent lamp, arc lamp, glow lamp, or fluorescent lamp, all of which produces and projects light when voltage is applied across the terminals.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric length
The physical length of a transmission line or its equivalent, corrected for any inhomogeneities (not uniform in structure or composition) which may effect the speed of propagation, and that is expressed in wavelength, radians, or degrees.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric light baker
A device for warming a part of the body, as with arthritis.

A baker consists of two or more electric lamps mounted in semicircular containers used for applying heat to various parts of the body.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric light, electric lighting
1. An incandescent lamp, or the light produced by this instrument.
2. Any form of lighting produced by an electric current in any one of several devices; for example, a fluorescent lamp, an arc lamp, an incandescent lamp, etc.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric line of force, electric flux line, electric flux, electrostatic flux
1. An imaginary line in which each segment of the line is parallel to the direction of the electric field or the direction of the electric displacement at that point, and the density of the collection of the line is relative to the electric field or the electrical displacement.
2. The electric lines of force that make up an electric field or region.
3. The integral over a surface of the component of the electric displacement perpendicular to the surface and equal to the number of electric lines of forces crossing the surface.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 10)
electric locomotive
1. A train locomotive operated by electric power supplied from a third rail alongside or between the two track-guide rails or from an overhead wire system feeding a trolley.
2. A locomotive operated by electric power picked up from a system of continuous overhead wires, or, sometimes, from a third rail mounted alongside the track.
electric log
The record or log of a borehole, obtained by lowering electrodes into the hole and measuring electrical properties of the rock formations traversed.

A borehole is a deep hole drilled into the ground to obtain samples for geologic study or to release or extract water or oil.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11)
electric meter, power meter, electric power meter
1. An instrument; such as, an ampere-hour meter, that measures electrical power and totals its measurement with time.
2. A device that measures electric power consumed, either at an instant, as in a wattmeter, or averaged over a time interval, as in a demand meter.

A demand meter is any of several types of instruments used to determine a customer's maximum demand for electric power over a time interval; generally it is used for billing industrial users.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11)
electric moment
1. A vector equal to the product of the magnitude of either of two charges of equal magnitude but opposite in their polarity and the distance between their centers.
2. One of a series of quantities characterizing an electric charge distribution.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11)
electric monopole
1. An electric charge distribution that is centered about a point or is spherically symmetrical.
2. A distribution of an electric charge which is concentrated at a point or is spherically symmetric.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11) mono-, mon- (page 1)
electric motor
1. A device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy using forces exerted by magnetic fields on current-carrying conductors.
2. An instrument that converts electrical power into mechanical torque or the force generated by an internal-combustion engine to turn a vehicle's drive shaft.
electric multipole
A charge distribution from a series of common distributions; such as, the electric monopole (a single charge), dipole (two opposite charges, separated by a short distance), and quadrupole (two dipoles, separated by a short distance).
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11)
electric multipole field
1. The electromagnetic field produced by static or oscillating electric multipoles.
2. The electric and magnetic fields generated by a static or oscillating electric multipole.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11)
electric muscle stimulator, EMS
A therapeutic electric current used to stimulate a muscle directly; such as, when the muscle is denervated (loss of nerve impulses) and peripheral nerves are not functioning.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11)
electric network
The collection or interconnection of electric elements; such as, resistors, coils, and capacitors that are joined together to form several interrelated circuits.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11)
electric noise
Unwanted electric energy in a receiver or transmission system other than crosstalk or unwanted sounds or other signals picked up by one channel of an electronic communications system from another channel; for example, between telephones or loudspeakers.

Sources include electric appliances, electric motors, engine ignition, and power lines.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11)
electric octupole moment
A quantity that describes an electric charge distribution, determined by integrating the product of the charge density, the third power of the distance from the origin, and a spherical harmonic over the charge distribution.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11)
electric ophthalmia
Actinic keratoconjunctivitis or inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea with pain, lacrination or excess tears, and smarting of the eyelids caused by repeated flashes of bright light or ultraviolet radiation.

This condition comes from undue exposure to such bright lights as the electric arc used in welding and the arc lights used in motion-picture studios.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11)
electric organ
1. The generating and sensory organs of the electric field in the electric fish, composed of electroplaques and located at the base of long, low-resistance, jelly-filled canals that radiate through the body from the head and monitor the electric field at all points over the body.
2. An organ consisting of rows of electroplaques which produce an electric discharge.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11) organo-, organ- (page 1)
electric organs
Modifications in muscle tracts in some fish, giving them the ability to communicate an electric shock.

Such physical organs are found in electric eels, electric rays, and the African catfish.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 11) organo-, organ- (page 1)
electric outlet, receptacle
1. The point at which electrical power is taken from a wiring system, a power-line termination which delivers a signal or operating power to equipment that is plugged into it.
2. A power line termination from which electric power can be obtained by inserting the plug of a line cord.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric plug
1. Alternating current, AC, power plugs and sockets that are devices for connecting removable electrically operated devices to a power supply.
2. A "male" electric plug in for inserting electrical contact prongs in order to connect mechanically and electrically into slots of a matching "female" electric socket.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric polarization
1. A displacement of bound charges in a dielectric when placed in an electric field.
2. The separation of charges in a material to form electric dipoles, or the alignment of existing electric dipoles in a material when an electric field is applied.

A dipole is a localized positive and negative charge distribution that has no net charge, and whose mean positions of positive and negative charges do not correspond.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric potential, electrostatic potential
1. The work done by moving a unit positive charge from a specified location; sometimes an infinite distance, sometimes from earth's surface, to the specific point in the electric field.

Similarly, a magnetic potential exists at every point of a magnetic field, measured by the work than is needed to move a unit magnetic pole from one point in the field to another point.

2. The potential measured by the energy of a unit positive charge at a point expressed relative to an equipotential surface that has zero potential, generally the surface of the earth.
3. The work which must be done against electric forces to bring a unit charge from a reference point to the point in question.

The reference point is located at an infinite distance, or, for practical purposes, at the surface of the earth or some other large conductor.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric power
The product of electric current and electromotive force; that is, multiplication of current flowing by voltage forms the basis of the calculation of electric power.

In a direct current (DC) circuit, the current measured in amperes, multiplied by the voltage between wires, is the power in watts.

A thousand watts constitute the kilowatt, a larger and more frequently employed unit of electric power.

The voltage and current may not be in phase with each other in an alternating current (AC) circuit and, while the instantaneous power is the product of the instantaneous voltage and current, this out-of-phase relation causes the power to fluctuate between positive and negative values.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric power and energy measurement
For many years, the term power, in association with electricity, has tended to lose its true meaning; so, power is often found used in nontechnical literature where actually the correct term energy should be used.

By definition, power is the rate at which energy is transformed or is made available and is measured in watthours.

From an economic viewpoint, the most important of all electrical measurements is the measurement of energy. The watthour meter in various forms can be found in nearly every home, factory, highway billboard, and other locations where electrical energy is being purchased.

Metering, installation and wiring have been governed by national, industrial, and local codes for so many years that, at least in the United States, a particular type of installation is nearly identical everywhere in the country.

Measurement of energy is almost always with a "fixed-installation metering". This provides safety because of the grounding of the meter enclosure and ease of reading as a result of a proper location and mounting.

Tamper-proof housing, which are also weatherproof where necessary, are typical structures that normally insure the integrity of the electric meter readings.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric power line, power line, powerline network
A data network which uses a building's electrical system as the transmission system and regular wall outlets as connecting points.

Powerline networks do not interfere with the delivery of electricity in the same circuit because the data are transmitted at a much higher frequency than the 60Hz or 50Hz used for AC (alternating current) power.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric power plant (s) (noun), electric power plants (pl)
Machinery that converts raw energy into useful applications; such as, light, power for machinery, etc.: The electric power plant is a hydrosteam, diesel, or nuclear generating electrical station for uses of all kinds of equipment or transportation services.

This "plant" reference is apparently linked to the action of pressing on a shovel, or some other tool, with the "sole of the foot" in order to work the soil for planting.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12) planta-, plant- (page 1)
electric power station, electric power substation
1. A generating station or an electric power substation.
2. A facility that generates electrical energy using generators.
3. An assembly of equipment in an electric power system through which electric energy is passed for transmission, transformation, distribution, or switching.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric power system
1. A complex assemblage of equipment and circuits for generating, transmitting, transforming, and distributing electric energy.
2. The circuitry applied to many electrical devices, in which electric energy is generated, transmitted, transformed, and distributed in the form of heat or as a driving force to other motor-controlled systems.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric power transmission (s) (noun), electric power transmissions (pl)
The large-scale production of electricity for various commercial, industrial, residential, and rural use, generally in places designed for that purpose: Although limited amounts of electricity can be generated in various ways, including chemical reactions (as in batteries) and engine-driven generators (as in automobiles and airplanes), electric power generation generally implies large-scale productions in stationary factories, or industrial sites, that are designed for that purpose.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12) trans-, tran-, tra- (page 1)
electric precipitation (s) (noun), electric precipitations (pl)
A procedure using an electric field to enhance the separation of hydrocarbon reagent dispersions: "Electric precipitation makes the separation of hydrocarbon dispersions more efficient because such a process of scatterings or divisions are too fine to accomplish efficiently by any other method."

electric probe, electrostatic probe
A tool used to measure electron temperatures, electron and ion densities, space and wall potentials, and random electron currents in a plasma.

It consists substantially of one or two small collecting electrodes to which various potentials are applied, with the corresponding collection of currents being measured.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric propeller
A propeller whose pitch is regulated by an electric motor.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric propulsion
1. Any form of rocket propulsion in which the propellant is either composed of charged electrical particles or accelerated by an electric or magnetic field.
2. A general term encompassing all the various types of propulsion in which the propellant consists of electrically charged particles which are accelerated by electric or magnetic fields, or both.
3. Propulsion of spacecraft and other vehicles by electrothermal, electrostatic, or plasma techniques, as contrasted to chemical propulsion, which involves the direct use of fuel.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 12)
electric protection device, protective device
1. Any component in a circuit configuration used explicitly to protect other circuit components form excessive heat or current.
2. A particular type of equipment used in electric power systems to detect abnormal conditions and to initiate appropriate corrective actions.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric quadrupole
1. A charge distribution that generates an electric field equal to that produced by two electric dipoles whose moments have the same magnitude, but extend in opposite directions a small distance apart.
2. A charge distribution that produces an electric field equivalent to what is produced by two electric dipoles whose dipole moments have the same magnitude, but point in opposite directions and which are separate from each other by a small distance.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric quadrupole lens
1. A device, consisting of four electrodes arranged in alternating polarity, which focuses a beam of charged particles.
2. An instrument for focusing beams of charged particles which has four electrodes with alternately positive and negative polarity; used in electron microscopes and particle accelerators.
3. An apparatus that uses four electrodes set in an alternating positive-negative polarity series to focus the beams of charged particles employed in electron microscopes and particle accelerators.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric quadrupole moment
A quantity characterizing an electric charge distribution, obtained by integrating the product of the charge density, the second power of the distance from the origin, and a spherical harmonic over the charge distribution.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric quadrupole transition
1. A transition of an atom or molecule from one energy state to another, in which electric quadrupole radiation is emitted or absorbed.
2. A process in which an atom produces or absorbs quadrupole radiation when it changes from one energy level to another.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric raceway, raceway
A channel used to hold and to protect wires, cables, or busbars.

A busbar is a heavy, rigid metallic conductor, usually uninsulated, which is used to carry a large electric current or to make a common connection between several electrical circuits.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric railroad
A railroad having a continuous system of overhead wires or a third rail mounted alongside or between the guide rails throughout the track's length to supply electric power to a transportation system including the locomotive and cars.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric ray
Any ray of the family Torpedinidae (fish rays), capable of emitting strong electric discharges.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric relay, relay
1 An electrical switch that allows a low power to control a higher one. A small current energizes the relay, which closes a gate, allowing a large current to flow through.
2. An electromechanical or solid-state device operated by variations in the input which, in turn, operate or control other devices connected to the output.

They are used in a wide variety of applications throughout industry; such as, in telephone exchanges, digital computers, motor and sequencing controls, and automation systems.

Highly sophisticated relays are utilized to protect electric power systems against trouble and power blackouts; as well as, to regulate and to control the generation and distribution of electrical power.

In private residences, relays are used in refrigerators, automatic washers, dishwashers, and heat and air-conditioning controls.

3. An electromechanical switch operated by a flow of electricity in one circuit and controlling the flow of electricity in another circuit.

A relay composed essentially of an electromagnet with a soft iron bar, called an armature, held close to it.

A movable contact is connected to the armature in such a way that the contact is held in its normal position by a spring and when the electromagnet is energized, it exerts a force on the armature that overcomes the pull of the spring and moves the contact so as to either complete or to break a circuit.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric reset relay
A relay that remains in the "on" condition after actuation until reset by applying an independent electric input.

A relay is an electrical device such that electric current flowing through it in one circuit can switch on and off a current in a second circuit

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric resistance furnace, resistance furnace
An electric furnace in which the heat is developed by the passage of current through a suitable internal resistance that may be the charge itself, a resistor embedded in the charge, or a resistor surrounding the charge.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric resistance, resistance
1. The opposition that a device or material offers to the flow of direct current, equal to the voltage drop across the element divided by the current through the element.
2. The opposition to a flow of electric current through a circuit component, medium, or substance.

It is the magnitude of the actual part of the impedance and is measured in ohms.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric rotating machinery
Any form of apparatus which has a rotating member and generates, converts, transforms, or modifies electric power; such as, a motor, generator, or synchronous converter.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric scanning
1. Scanning in which the required phase or amplitude of the currents fed in the various elements of the antenna array.
2. A target-seeking method in which an operator directs the radar beam by varying the phase or amplitude of the currents flowing into various components of its antenna.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric shaver
An instrument powered by a small electric motor and used to shave one's face or other parts of the body.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 13)
electric shield
A housing, usually aluminum or copper, placed around a circuit to prevent interaction with other circuits by providing a low resistance and a reflecting path to ground or high-frequency radiation.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric shielding
Any means of avoiding pickup of undesired signals or noise, suppressing radiation of undesired signals, or confining wanted signals or noise, suppressing radiation of undesired signals, or confining wanted signals to desired paths or regions; such as, electrostatic shielding.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric shock
1. In medicine, a method of stimulating an excitable tissue; such as, a nerve or muscle, by applying a short electrical current and the immediate effects resulting from such stimulation.
2. A traumatic physical state caused by the passage of electric currents through the body.
3. The sudden pain, convulsion, unconsciousness, or death produced by the passage of electric current through a body.
4. Injury from electricity that varies according to the type and strength of current and length and location of the contacts.

It usually involves an accidental contact with exposed parts of electric circuits in home appliances and domestic power supplies; however, it may also result from lightning or contact with high-voltage wires.

Electric shocks range from trivial burns to complete charring and destruction of skin. They may also cause unconsciousness from paralysis of the respiratory center, fibrillation of the heart, or both depending on the intensity of the electric current, the type of current, and the duration and the frequency of the current flow.

Alternating current (AC), direct current (DC), and mixed currents cause different kinds and different degrees of damage to the body.

Burns and the loss of consciousness are a couple of the symptoms of electrical injury.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric shock tube
A gas-filled tube used in plasma physics to suddenly ionize a gas.

A capacitor bank charged to a high voltage is discharged into the gas at one tube end to ionize and heat the gas, producing a shock wave that may be studied as it travels down the tube.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric shunt, shunt
1. A low-resistance conductor connected in parallel across a device, circuit, or part of a circuit to provide an alternative path for a known fraction of the current.
2. A precision low-value resistor placed across the terminals of an ammeter to increase its range by allowing a known fraction of the electric-circuit current to go around the meter.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric solenoid, solenoid
1. An electrically energized coil of insulated wire that produces a magnetic field within the coil; in particular, a coil that surrounds a movable iron core that is pulled to a central position with respect to the coil when it is energized by sending electric current through the coil.
2. A device made of a long wire which has been wound around many times into a tightly packed coil.

It has the shape of a long cylinder and if a current is sent through a solenoid made of insulated wire and having a length much greater than its diameter, a uniform magnetic field will be created inside the solenoid.

This field can be intensified by inserting a ferromagnetic core into the solenoid.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric spark, spark
A sudden and quick electric current that flows between two objects at different electrical potentials caused by direct contact or which are induced by an electrostatic field.

Electric sparks play an important part in many physical effects; usually these are harmful and undesirable effects, ranging from the gradual destruction of contacts in a conventional electrical switch to the large-scale disruption resulting from lightning discharges.

Sometimes the spark is useful; for example, its function in the ignition system of an automobile, its use as an intense short-duration illumination source in high-speed photography, and its use as a source of excitation in spectroscopy.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric spinal orthosis, ESO
An electric device that helps control curvature of the spine by stimulating back muscles.

The portable battery-powered machine does not correct scoliosis (abnormal lateral curvature of the spine); however, it apparently does keep it from getting worse.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14) -osis, -sis, -sia, -sy, -se (page 13)
electric stacker
A stacker whose carriage is raised and lowered by a winch powered by electric storage batteries.

A stacker is a machine for lifting merchandise on a platform or fork and arranging it in tiers; operated by hand, electric, or hydraulic mechanisms.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric steel, electric-furnace steel
Steel produced or melted in an electric furnace which permits close control and the addition of alloying elements directly into the furnace.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric stroboscope
A mechanism that produces brief flashes of light for observing the behavior of an object during a short interval.

One of the most effective means for accomplishing this action is a gaseous tube energized by the discharge of an electrical condenser.

Flashes as short as one microsecond have been produced in this procedure.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric surface-recording thermometer
An instrument that measures temperatures during oil-well temperature surveying.

It has a thermocouple, resistance wire, or thermistor as the temperature-sensitive element.

electric susceptibility, dielectric susceptibility, susceptibility
A dimensionless parameter measuring the ease of polarization of a dielectric, equal (in meter-kilogram-second units) to the ratio of the polarization to the product of the electric field strength and the vacuum permittivity or the measure of the ability of a material to resist the formation of an electric field within it.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14) -ibility (page 2)
electric tachometer
An instrument for measuring rotational speed by measuring the output voltage of a generator driven by the rotating unit.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric telemetering
A system that transmits electric impulses from the primary detector to a remote receiving station, with or without wire interconnections.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 14)
electric terminal (s) (noun), electric terminals (pl)
1. A screw, a soldering lug, or other point to which connections can be made to allow the transmission or receptions of signals: Irving, the contractor, hired electricians to install the electric terminals in the new building.
2. The end of a line where signals are either transmitted or received, or a point along the length of a line where the signals are made available to an apparatus: Randy, the fired train conductor, attempted to disrupt the electric terminals at the railroad station so the trains could not run on time.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15) term-, termin- (page 2)
electric thermometer
An instrument which utilizes an electrical precess to measure temperature; such as, a thermocouple or resistance thermometer.

A thermocouple is a thermoelectric device used to measure temperatures accurately, especially one consisting of two dissimilar metals joined so that a potential difference generated between the points of contact is a measure of the temperature difference between the points.

One junction is at the temperature to be measured, the second is at a fixed temperature. The electromotive force generated depends upon the temperature difference.

electric torch
A British term for a "flashlight".
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15)
electric traction
A means of transportation in which vehicles are powered by electric motors supplied with electricity from distant generating stations; for example, street cars, electric trolley buses, interurban railways, and rapid-transit lines.

Electricity is also used in the movement of vehicles in other ways, but these forms are not usually included in the category of electric traction; examples include, battery-powered electric automobiles, battery-propelled vans for city delivery or warehouse use, and modern diesel-electric locomotives in which the wheels are driven by electric motors powered by diesel engines.

electric transducer (s) (noun), electric transducers (pl)
Equipment from which all of the waves are electric or a two-part appliance that processes electrical signals: An electric transducer is a device that transforms one type of energy into another one; for example, a microphone, a photoelectric cell, or an automobile horn.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15) trans-, tran-, tra- (page 1)
electric transient (s) (noun), electric transients (pl)
A temporary component of current and voltage in an electric circuit which has been disturbed: When using a vacuum switch to close or interrupt a circuit, an electric transient can be increased in the circuit, making the insulation of the course of electricity higher than the rated operation voltage.

Vehicle-type alarm systems can usually detect electric transients in such activities, as starting the engine or opening a door, which can initiate a courtesy light that indicates a disturbance in the circuit that can result in making a warning alert.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15) trans-, tran-, tra- (page 1)
electric tuning
1. Tuning a receiver to a desired station by switching a set of preadjusted trimmer capacitors or coils into the tuning circuits.
2. The process of selecting a desired frequency on a component; such as, a receiver, a transmitter, or an oscillator, without using mechanical devices.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15)
electric twinning
1. A defect occurring in natural quartz crystals, in which adjacent regions of quartz have their electric axes oppositely poled.

2. A defect in crystals in which two neighboring regions have antiparallel electric moments.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15)
electric typewriter
A typewriter having an electric motor that provides power for all operations initiated when the keys are touched.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15)
electric unit (s) (noun), electric units (pl)
A unit for measuring the strength of an electric current.

Three different systems of electric units are used:

  • The electromagnetic unit.
  • The electrostatic unit.
  • The ordinary or practical units.

The commonly used practical units are the ampere or unit of current, the volt or unit of electromotive force, the ohm or unit of resistance, the coulomb or unit of quantity, the farad or unit of capacitance, and the watt or unit of power.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15) uni-, un- (page 1)
electric vector, electric-field vector, electric-field intensity; electric-field strength
1. A vector which represents the force per unit charge acting on a positive charge in an electric field.
2. The force on a stationary positive electrical charge per unit charge at a point in an electric field.

It is usually measured in volts per meter.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15)
electric vehicle, EV
1. A vehicle that is powered solely by an electrochemical power source; such as, a battery or a fuel cell.
2. Any ground vehicle whose original source of energy is electric power; such as, an electric car or an electric locomotive.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15)
electric wind, convective discharge, static breeze
The movement of a visible, or invisible, stream of charged particles away from a body that has been charged to a sufficiently high voltage.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15)
electric wire
A single bare or insulated metallic conductor having solid, stranded, or tinsel construction, designed to carry current in an electric circuit.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15)
electric wiring, wiring
1. The installation and utilization of a system of wire for the conduction of electricity.
2. A system of electric conductors and components for conveying electric power from a source to the point of use.

In general, electric wiring for light and power must convey energy safely and reliably with low power losses, and must deliver it to the point of use in an adequate quantity at a rated voltage.

Electric wiring systems are designed to provide a constant voltage to the load within the capacity limits of the system.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 15)
electrical circuit theory, electric circuit theory, circuit theory
The mathematical analysis of conditions and relationships in an electric circuit.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 16)
electrical condenser, electric condenser, capacitor
1. Capacitors that consist of tiny storage batteries which charge and discharge rapidly.

Made of two plates separated by a thin insulator or sometimes air, when one plate is charged negative and the other positive, a charge builds up and remains after the current is removed.

When electric power is required, the circuit is switched to conduct current between the plates, and the electrical charge is released.

2. An electronic component that stores an electric charge and releases it when required.

It comes in a huge variety of sizes and types for use in regulating power as well as for conditioning, smoothing, and isolating signals.

Capacitors are made from many different materials, and just about every electrical and electronic system uses them.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 16)
electrical storm, electric storm
1. A popular name or term for a thunderstorm.
2. An infrequent disturbance of the electric field in the lower atmosphere caused by strong winds and the blowing of dust, but without thunderstorm activity.
3. Any meteorological disturbance in which the air is highly charged with electricity, occurring in fine weather, without clouds or rain, and often accompanied by dry, dusty winds.
4. A sudden change in the pattern of earth currents, causing interference with radio reception.
5. A meteorological condition marked by an intense electric field within a cloud or clouds.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 20)
electric-arc welding, electric arc welding
1. A welding process which uses an electric arc as the source of heat.
2. Welding in which the joint is heated to fusion by an electric arc or by a large electric current.
3. The joining of metal components by fusing them with heat from an electrical arc struck between two electrodes.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 21)
electric-discharge machining
A metal-cutting process in which high-frequency discharges from a negatively charged metal tool remove metal from the work piece by electroerosion.

There is no electrolyte, but the work is submerged in oil to flush away eroded particles and to delay each spark until peak energy is built up.>

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 21)
electric-light treatment, electric light treatment
The therapeutic application of electric light by means of cabinets in which the patient sits with the light directed on the affected body part.

Its therapeutic effect depends on the heat from the electric lights.

electrocauterization, electric cauterization
1. The cauterization of tissue with an electrocautery; in other words, the destruction of tissue with an electric current.
2. A method of removing warts or polyps by placing a needle or wire loop heated by a direct galvanic current on the tissue to be removed.
electrocautery, electric coagulation
1. The cauterization or destruction of tissue using electric current to generate heat.
2. A hand-held, needle-like cautery heated by an electric current.
3. The application of a needle or snare heated by electric current for the destruction of tissue; such as, for removing warts or polyps (benign tumors) and cauterizing small blood vessels to limit blood loss during surgical procedures.
4. The process of cutting and cauterizing skin simultaneously, or coagulating blood from vessels around a surgical incision by using an electrical-cautery instrument.
5. Cauterization using platinum wires heated to red or white heat by an electric current, either direct or alternating.
This entry is located in the following units: caust-, caus-, caut-, cauter-, cau- + (page 2) electro-, electr-, electri- (page 25)
electrolepsy, electric chorea
1. A type of chorea characterized by a continuous sequence of sudden, violent, rapid, jerky movements that appear synchronized but are involuntary.

Chorea consists of jerky spasmodic movements of the limbs, trunk, and facial muscles, common to various diseases of the central nervous system.

2. A progressively fatal spasmodic disorder, possibly of malarial origin, occurring chiefly in Italy.

It is a severe form of Sydenham's chorea, in which the spasms are rapid and of a specially rapid, jerky character.

Sydenham's chorea is a neurological disease of children and pregnant women, sometimes following rheumatic fever, in which those affected experience involuntary jerking movements of the body and it is also defined as an acute neurologic disorder that emerges several months following a streptococcal ("strep") infection.

It is named after Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689), English physician.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 34) -lepsy, -lepsia, -lepsis, -leptic (page 1)
electrolytic tank, electric tank, potential flow analyzer
1. A structure that serves as a model for an electron-tube system or an aerodynamic system, in which voltages are applied to test electron-tube design or to aid in computing ideal fluid flow.
2. A tank in which voltages are applied to an enlarged scale model of an electron-tube system or a reduced scale model of an aerodynamic system immersed in a poorly conducting liquid.

The equipotential lines between electrodes are traced with measuring probes, as an aid to electron-tube design.

It is also used as an aid to electron-tube design or in computing ideal fluid flow.

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 37)
electromagnetic field, EMF; electric-magnetic field
1. All forms of energy emanating from an electrical source and transmitted through the air.

Included are the fields produced by light, radio, X-rays, and gamma rays and the higher the frequency of the fields produced, the more energy is contained.

2. The combination of electric and magnetic fields that surround moving electrical charges (for example, electrons); such as, those in electric currents.

Electromagnetic fields apply a force on other charges and can induce current flows in nearby conductors.

3. An oscillating electric field and its associated magnetic field acting at right angles to each other and at right angles to their direction of motion.
4. The region surrounding a moving electric charge which consists of magnetic and electric force fields especially related; such as, to orientation and strength, and that possesses a definite amount of energy.
5. A field created by the interplay of an electric field and a magnetic field when an electric current passes through a wire.

An electromagnetic field consists of two kinds of energy: electrostatic (potential energy) and electrodynamic (kinetic energy).

This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 39)
electron-discharge machining, electron discharge machining, electrical discharge machining, EDM, electric spark machining; electroerosive machining; electrospark machining
1. The process of machining which is performed by electric sparks in a non-conductive liquid intervening substance.
2. A process by which materials that conduct electricity can be removed from a metal by an electric spark.

It is used to form holes with different shapes in materials that have poor machine operations.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 56) -tron, -tronic, -tronics + (page 5)
galvanic electric stimulation
The use of a high-voltage electric stimulator to treat muscle spasms, edema of acute injury (excess serous fluid between tissue cells), myofascial pain (fibrous tissue that encloses and separates layers of muscles), and certain additional disorders.
photocell, photoelectric cell, electric eye
1. A device that generates electrical energy from light energy, usually as a voltage or current.
2. An instrument which converts light into electrical energy or uses it to regulate a flow of current, often incorporated into automatic control systems for doors and lighting.
3. An electronic device having an electrical output that varies in response to incident radiation; especially, to visible light.
4. A small cathode-ray tube having a fluorescent pattern whose size varies with the voltage applied to the grid.

It is used in radio receivers to indicate accuracy of tuning and as a modulation indicator in some tape recorders.

5. An electric eye can operate a mechanism so as to open a door when its invisible beam is interrupted by the approach of a person and includes a photoelectric cell which is used as an automatic controlling appliance.

It is also used in motion pictures, television, and many other industries.

This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 96) photo-, phot-, -photic (page 6)
production and interrelation of electric and magnetic fields, Maxwell's equations
Four equations, formulated by James Clerk Maxwell, that together form a complete description of the production and interrelation of electric and magnetic fields.

The statements of these four equations are as follows:

  1. Electric field diverges from electric charge.
  2. There are no isolated magnetic poles.
  3. Electric fields are produced by changing magnetic fields.
  4. Circulating magnetic fields are produced by changing electric fields and by electric currents.

Maxwell based his description of electromagnetic fields on these four statements.

solar electricity, solar electric power
A method of producing electricity from solar energy by using focused sunlight to heat a working fluid, which in turn drives a turbo-generator.
This entry is located in the following units: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 100) sol-, soli-, solo- + (page 3)
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator, transdermal electrical nerve stimulator, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, TENS, transcutaneous nerve stimulation
1. A portable electronic device designed to relieve chronic pain by sending electrical impulses through electrodes covering the afflicted area on the body.
2. A method of pain control with the application of electric impulses to the nerve endings.

This is done through electrodes which are placed on the skin and attached to a stimulator with flexible wires.

The electric impulses which are generated are similar to those of the body; however, they are different enough to block the transmission of pain signals to the brain making this procedure noninvasive and nonaddictive, and with no known side effects.

Word Entries at Get Words containing the term: “electric
electric circuit
The path followed by electrons from a power source (generator or battery), through an electrical system, and returning to the source.
This entry is located in the following unit: Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency Terms + (page 8)
electric current
The flow of electrical energy (electricity) in a conductor, measured in amperes.
This entry is located in the following unit: Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency Terms + (page 8)
electric current
An electric current consists of charged particles moving through a conductor usually consisting of electrons.

The electrons in some atoms; such as, copper and aluminum, are free to move and to jump from one atom to another and such materials are known as conductors.

Other materials; such as, wood, do not contain as many moving electrons, and so they are called insulators and when a material is neither completely a conductor nor an insulator, it is called a semiconductor.

When an electric current moves continuously in one direction, it is called a direct current and when the current fluctuates rapidly back and forth, it is called an alternating current.

Alternating current is used in almost all worldwide household wiring today while direct current is commonly seen in battery-operated devices.

This entry is located in the following unit: Electrical and Electronic Topics (page 1)
electric energy
The ability of an electric current to produce work, heat, light, or other forms of energy.

Electric energy is measured in kilowatt hours.

This entry is located in the following unit: Energy Sources and Related Information + (page 1)
electric generation industry
Stationary and mobile generating units that are connected to the electric power grid and can generate electricity.

The electric generation industry includes the "electric power sector" (utility generators and independent power producers) and industrial and commercial power generators, including combined-heat-and-power producers, but excluding units at single-family dwellings.

This entry is located in the following unit: Energy Sources and Related Information + (page 2)
electric hybrid vehicle
An electric vehicle that either operates solely on electricity, but contains an internal combustion motor that generates additional electricity (series hybrid); or it contains an electric system and an internal combustion system and is capable of operating on either system (a parallel hybrid).
This entry is located in the following unit: Energy Sources and Related Information + (page 2)
electric motor
A machine that uses electricity and magnetism to power an axle.

An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.

This entry is located in the following unit: Automobile or Related Car Terms (page 3)
electric motor vehicle
A motor vehicle powered by an electric motor that draws current from rechargeable storage batteries, fuel cells, photovoltaic arrays, or other sources of electric current.