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brushless

1 4.6

An electric motor that runs without parts that rub together

adjective
/ˈbrʌʃləs/

Specialized

: sin escobillas

Auto-industry supplier Visteon Corp. of Dearborn, Mich., introduced a brushless fuel pump in 2001.
brushless motor
brushless permanent magnet
brushless permanent

We have scrapped that entire system in lieu of these gorgeous brushless DC water cooled EV drive systems.

Examples

So they're also called brushless DC motors.
Many modern fans use brushless motors to operate quietly and efficiently.
Because of its brushless commutation, the small motor has a long life.

Academic text (2003)
They used a brushless exciter system.

Academic text (2001)
GE's engineers have used the experience they acquired in developing a brushless motor for the high-volume household refrigeration market to drive down the manufacturing cost of the motor designed for this lower-volume market.

Academic text (1995)
By going from a brushed DC motor in a fuel pump assembly to a brushless design (upper right), Visteon engineers doubled motor life and created a pump that responds to engine demand.

Academic text (2003)
The new electric scooter has a brushless motor that requires less maintenance than traditional models.
By going from a brushed DC motor in a fuel pump assembly to a brushless design, engineers improved the motor's efficiency.

Surface Forms

brushless positive

Morphology

brushless = brush (semi-transparent) = brush + less

Morphologically transparent as 'without brushes', but the specific sense requires technical knowledge of 'brush' as a motor component, which may not be known to a general B1 learner.

Etymology

Brushless comes from the word brush meaning 'a tool with stiff hairs or a part in old motors that rubs' and the ending -less meaning 'without'. So a brushless motor is one 'without' those rubbing parts, which is why it is quieter, lasts longer, and needs less care.