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electrical plant

electrical plant

1 3.8
A place where electricity is made and sent to homes and businesses
  • noun
  • /ɪˈlɛktrɪkəl plænt/
translation icon : central eléctrica
  • The electrical plant generates enough power to supply the entire city.
  • build an electrical plant
  • powered electrical plant

They're environmental sensors, They're electrical plants, and they're building factories that can make sex hormones.

Examples

  • After five years of working in the mine, during which time he followed a correspondence course with a "US university" offered by the company, he moved to a better job in the construction department, and finally to a series of skilled jobs as a carpenter, electrician, and mechanic in El Teniente's electrical plant, fulfilling the company's model of social mobility.

    Academic text (1996)
  • This carbon buildup is mainly caused by the hundreds of coal-fired electrical plants around the world and the carbon emissions from over 500 million cars in the world.

    Blog text (14)
  • This reduced the efficiency of the electrical plants and increased transportation costs.

    Blog text (10)
  • Or build a local gas-powered electrical plant?

    Blog text (32)
  • The air smelled weakly of gas from the electrical plant next door.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Modern combined cycle electrical plants use a gas turbine topping cycle and a steam bottoming cycle for a thermodynamic efficiency of around 60%.

    Blog text (32)
  • Phyllis Johnson and David Martin state that Renamo was only involved in one major operation during the 1970s, the sabotage of an electrical plant supplying Beira, and even that was commanded by the Rhodesian Special Air Service.

    Academic text (1992)
  • One ad-hoc decision resulted in 26 cement kilns and electrical plants receiving temporary authorizations to incinerate hazardous wastes without any standard to regulate this action in 1998.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Many workers at the electrical plant monitor the output of electricity daily.

  • Environmentally friendly initiatives have been introduced at the new electrical plant.

Synonyms

power plant
vselectrical plant
  • US
143 2.9

A place where electricity is made for homes and businesses

is defined as a facility that supplies electricity as a utility
power station
vselectrical plant
  • UK
23 3.2

A building where electricity is made for a town or area

is focused on supplying electricity as a utility rather than only the site
hydro
vselectrical plant
  • Canadian
16 3.7

Electricity made by moving water, often at dams

is broader covering utility generation from any energy source
powerhouse
vselectrical plant
4 4.7

A building where electricity is made for homes and businesses

emphasizes its role as a utility supplier rather than mere generation
wind energy facility
vselectrical plant
  • Specialized
3.7

A place with tall machines that use wind to make electricity

is more general and covers all types of utility generation

How Big

power system
  • Specialized
15 3.5
electrical plant
1 3.8
generator
  • Specialized
256 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

electrical + plant

The meaning is directly derived from combining 'electrical' (relating to electricity) with 'plant' (an industrial facility): together they denote a facility where electricity is produced. This adjective+noun composition is cross-linguistically common and the modifier disambiguates the sense of 'plant', so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand the phrase.

Etymology

Electrical plant compares a factory to a living plant. Just as a plant makes food, an electrical plant makes 'electricity' for homes and businesses, so the phrase means a place that makes and supplies 'power'.