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Glite Dictionary
current collector

current collector

6.2
A part on trams and trains that takes electricity from overhead wires or a rail to power them
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : colector de corriente
  • Without a properly functioning current collector, an electric locomotive cannot draw power.

Examples

  • The tram's current collector needed maintenance after striking a branch on the overhead wire.

  • Technicians inspected the current collector to ensure safe operation along the entire railway route.

  • The current collector on the tram is malfunctioning.

  • Many current collectors are designed for high efficiency.

  • The tram's current collector needed maintenance after striking a branch on the overhead wire.

  • Technicians inspected the current collector to ensure safe operation along the entire railway route.

  • Without a properly functioning current collector, an electric locomotive cannot draw power.

Surface Forms

current collector singular
current collectors plural

Morphology

current + collector

The compound literally names 'a collector of electrical current', so a learner who knows 'current' and 'collector' can infer it is a device that collects/transfers electrical power; the vehicle-specific placement (trams, trolleybuses) is a domain detail but does not prevent inference. This noun–noun composition follows ordinary compounding patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, making the basic meaning accessible to B1 learners.

Etymology

The term current collector paints a simple picture: a metal arm or brush called the collector reaches up to an overhead wire to 'collect' the electric current. That's why it means a device that brings electrical 'power' from the wire to the vehicle.