alternator
13
5.6
- noun
- /ˈɔltərˌneɪtər/
- Specialized
:
alternador
- If your lights are dimming while driving, it might be a sign that the alternator is failing.
- alternator and battery
- alternator belt
- alternator in the engine
Then we leave for Nicaragua the next day and the first alternator goes out.
- Then we leave for Nicaragua the next day and the first alternator goes out.
Examples
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Instead, the pickup trucks replace conventional alternator/starters with more powerful motor-generators that quickly restart engines stopped for traffic lights.
Academic text (2004) -
The mechanic explained how the alternator charges the car battery while driving.
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Told me about the alternator you put in the truck.
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First off, you need a new alternator.
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If the alternator is failing, that means the car is running on the battery, which will die soon.
Blog text (12) -
That's the alternator from the truck.
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In his defense, Mayfield said the Thunderbird's alternator has been acting up.
Blog text (25) -
Nah, man, the alternator's gone on the Merc!
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Tiny 12-volt alternators are struggling, too, under the demand for more juice.
Academic text (2003) -
Inside the powerhouse was a Pelton wheel that drove an alternator.
Blog text (15)
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Alternator comes from the word alternate, which means 'to take turns'. An alternator makes electric current that goes 'back and forth', so it is like a 'maker of alternates', which is why it charges a car battery while the engine runs.