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Glite Dictionary
⏩ To bypass steps ⚡ To cause electrical fault
to short-circuit

to short-circuit

1 5.6
Make electricity flow along the wrong path and damage the device
  • verb
  • /ˈʃɔrtˌsɜrkɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cortocircuitar
  • They all got pacemakers that'll short-circuit when you charge through the door.

Examples

  • Short-circuit, temperature, under-voltage, and over-voltage protection are all integrated.

    Academic text (2004)

  • And if you short circuit a battery, of course you can get some heat.

  • Turning a wet phone back on can cause it to permanently and fatally short-circuit.

    Blog text (12)

  • Well if I've short circuited this, then I just get a current divider.

  • When Apple set out to aggressively use its gatekeeper position on mobile devices, Google had to ensure Apple wouldn't end up in a position to short-circuit them.

    Blog text (27)

  • If you accidentally short-circuit the wires, the device will stop working completely.

  • It's dangerous to short-circuit any electronic device, as it can lead to overheating or damage.

  • He caused the machine to short-circuit when he connected the wrong wires together.

Synonyms

to short
vsto short-circuit
  • Specialized
22 8.2

Cause an accidental connection in wires that makes a device stop working

describes creating a low resistance path that bypasses the intended circuit

How Severe

to destroy
∞ 1.0
to burn out
24 4.7
to short-circuit
  • Specialized
1 5.6
to trip
36 6.5

Surface Forms

short-circuit infinitive
short-circuited past
short-circuited past participle
short-circuiting present participle
short-circuits third person singular

Etymology

Short-circuit comes from the words short and circuit: a 'circuit' is a loop that electricity follows and a 'short' is a much shorter path that lets the current skip the loop. So to short-circuit an electrical device is to give the power a short route that skips the proper parts and often causes damage.