electric current
8
3.0
- noun
- /ɪˈlɛktrɪk ˈkɜrrənt/
- Specialized
:
corriente eléctrica
- An electric current flows through the wire when the switch is turned on.
- distribution of electric current
- electric current pulses
- applying electric current
And when the decay happens, we get a teeny tiny electric current which we can read out.
- And when the decay happens, we get a teeny tiny electric current which we can read out.
- It works just like this switch, so it controls the flow of electric current.
- Whenever electric current surges too much, the fuse will break and save everything else.
- But Edison's biggest failure was his stubborn support of direct electrical current as a necessary companion of the light bulb.
Examples
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For several hours, an electric current is passed from one end of the gel to the other.
Academic text (1990) -
The electric current from the battery powered the small motor in the toy.
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This flow of electrons is what we call an electric current.
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You pass electric current into the machine, and there is supposed to be a chemical reaction!
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A box fan uses electric current to turn fan blades that create artificial wind.
Academic text (2010) -
With cathodic protection, however, the electrons come from an electric current that is run through the metal.
Blog text (7) -
Whenever electric current surges too much, the fuse will break and save everything else.
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Electrowinning uses a direct electric current to remove dissolved metal ions from a solution.
Academic text (1994) -
While the magnet is moving, you set up an electric current which powers the light bulb and causes it to turn on.
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The electric current acts as an amplifier as it runs through the cages.
Synonyms
41
3.7
A flow of electricity through a wire or circuit
1
3.7
Energy made when charged particles move steadily through a wire to power devices
A flow of electricity, like the current in a wire
Antonyms
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally transparent: 'electric' (relating to electricity) modifies 'current' (a flow), so the phrase straightforwardly denotes a flow of electric charge. This adjective + noun combination follows a common cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words can reliably infer the meaning.
Etymology
Electric current The name electric current comes from a simple image: people thought of electricity like moving water. They used current, meaning a moving stream, to show how electricity runs through a wire, so today electric current means 'a flow of electricity'.