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Glite Dictionary
B battery

B battery

8.3
A power source used in old radios to give positive voltage to a vacuum tube plate
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : batería B
  • Early radios required a B battery to power the vacuum tube circuits.

Examples

  • The B battery supplies the plate voltage necessary for tube operation.

  • Can you check if the B battery is fully charged?

  • He replaced the old B battery to restore function to the antique radio.

  • The B battery is crucial for maintaining a consistent power supply.

  • To operate correctly, the vintage radio requires a B battery that provides a steady voltage to the vacuum tube.

  • The B battery is essential for ensuring that the vacuum tube in the amplifier receives constant voltage.

  • After installing a new B battery, the radio started working flawlessly, thanks to the reliable power supply.

Surface Forms

B battery singular
B batteries plural

Morphology

B + battery

Formally the phrase is just the letter 'B' used as a label plus 'battery', so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a battery of type/class B. However, the specific technical function (supplying a constant positive plate voltage for vacuum tubes) is domain-specific and not predictable from the constituents alone, so partial but not full transparency applies.

Etymology

The noun B battery comes from early radios that used several batteries labeled 'A' and 'B', and the 'B' battery was the high-voltage one that fed the vacuum tube's 'plate'. So a B battery means the battery that supplies the steady 'positive voltage' the 'plate' needs for the tube to work.