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Glite Dictionary
in series

in series

2 5.8
Placed end to end so each depends on the previous
  • idiom
  • Specialized
translation icon : en serie
  • A load cell was connected in series with the ultrasound transducer to determine the corresponding force response.
  • in series or parallel
  • connected in series
  • cells in series

They don't come in series showing, for example, the life of a St.

Examples

  • Cells are connected in series on a mounting board commonly called a solar panel or module.

    Academic text (2011)

  • But if you put them together in series, what he noticed is you could make an infrared detector.

  • We're going to run them in series and treat them just as one pickup.

  • So what we want to do is we want to wire these in series, yes, not in parallel.

  • They come in series of three.

    10 Things We Should Do Before We Break Up (2020)

  • The number of plates in series or parallel is variable.

    Academic text (1995)

  • The self-inductance represents an additional load in series with the resistance of the net.

    Academic text (1999)

  • In most cases, the resistances will be arranged in series, in parallel, or in some combination of series and parallel.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The redesign placed the logic card in series with the pump discharge pressure switch and the motor control switch.

    Academic text (2002)

  • To increase the voltage, we connected the batteries in series so that each battery contributed to the total.

Synonyms

one after another
vsin series
17 2.3

Things follow each other without a break

require completion of the earlier one before the next starts
sequentially
vsin series
9 4.5

Things happen one after the other in a fixed order

often imply dependence on the previous completion before moving on

Antonyms

parallel
  • Specialized
43 5.9

Able to do several tasks at the same time

How Sequential

in series
  • Specialized
2 5.8
alternately
19 3.6
simultaneously
209 4.2

Surface Forms

in series positive

Morphology

in + series

The meaning 'arranged one after another' is directly and compositionally derived from 'in' (indicating position/arrangement) combined with 'series' (a sequence or chain). This locative/arrangement pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

In series comes from the image of objects linked end-to-end, like batteries joined one after another. When things are put in a series, each thing follows and often depends on the one before, so the phrase means 'one after another' or 'connected so each must finish before the next starts'.