Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
busbar

busbar

8.6
A thick metal bar that carries electric power to several circuits
  • noun
  • /ˈbʌsˌbɑr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : barra de distribución
  • In the electrical panel, the busbar provided a reliable pathway for several circuits to share the same current.

Examples

  • To improve the system's performance, they installed a new busbar that could handle higher loads.

  • The technician connected the main power supply to the busbar to ensure efficient energy distribution.

  • If needed, any cell can be bypassed by shunt busbars.

    Blog text (18)

Synonyms

bus
vsbusbar
  • Specialized
38 5.3

A set of wires that connects parts of a computer to carry power and data

is a rigid conductor used mainly to distribute electrical power among several circuits

How Powerful

busway
  • Specialized
7.1
busbar
  • Specialized
8.6
cable
  • Specialized
282 2.4
conductor
  • Specialized
14 3.9
wire
700 1.0

Surface Forms

busbar singular
busbars plural

Morphology

busbar = bus + bar (semi-transparent) = bus + bar

The word is a straightforward compound 'bus' + 'bar', but 'bus' here has a technical meaning ('common conductor') that is not the common learner meaning 'vehicle', so the composition may not be obvious to non-technical learners.

Etymology

Busbar comes from two simple words: bus (like the vehicle, from Latin 'omnibus' meaning 'for all') and bar ('a long metal piece'). Think of a metal bar that acts like a bus and carries electricity to many circuits, which is why a busbar distributes power and joins circuits.