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Glite Dictionary
breaker point

breaker point

8.8
A small metal part in older car engines that opens and closes to send electricity to the spark plugs
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : punto de ruptura
  • If the breaker point gap is incorrect, the engine may misfire or run poorly.

Examples

  • The mechanic checked the breaker point for signs of wear during the inspection.

  • Modern cars no longer use a breaker point system in their ignitions.

  • The breaker point in my car needs adjustment.

  • I replaced the breaker points last week.

  • If the breaker point gap is incorrect, the engine may misfire or run poorly.

  • The mechanic checked the breaker point for signs of wear during the inspection.

  • Modern cars no longer use a breaker point system in their ignitions.

Synonyms

distributor point
vsbreaker point
  • Archaic
8.6

A metal contact in a car's ignition that the rotor arm touches to send electricity to the spark plugs

is operated by a cam, opening and closing to time current flow

Surface Forms

breaker point singular
breaker points plural

Morphology

breaker + point

The meaning can be partially inferred from the constituents: 'breaker' (a device that interrupts electrical flow) plus 'point' (a specific position/contact) yields the general idea of a contact that breaks current. However, the exact technical function in a vehicle distributor (a movable contact that opens/closes to time spark plug current) is specialized and not fully predictable to a B1 learner, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Breaker point is named for a small engine part: the breaker that breaks an electric contact and the point where two metal pieces meet. Imagine those metal contacts touching and then separating so the current stops and a spark is made, so the name means the contact that opens and closes to control the spark.