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Glite Dictionary
subcircuit

subcircuit

1 7.0
A smaller part of a larger electronic circuit that does one job
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌbˌsɜrˌkɪt/
  • Specialized
: subcircuito

Examples

  • Further analysis revealed that a subcircuit of three C. elegans sensory neurons and one interneuron was necessary for this response (Shao et al. 2016).

    Academic text (2017)

  • Since circuit layouts were done in the migratable design rules, redesign is required only in subcircuits such as SRAM sense amplifiers that are sensitive to technology parameter variations.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The engineer designed a specific subcircuit to control the lighting system in the building.

  • This subcircuit can be reused in various projects because of its modular design.

  • In the larger device, a crucial subcircuit manages the power distribution efficiently.

Synonyms

subassembly
vssubcircuit
  • Specialized
1 6.4

A part made separately and later added to a larger product

is a functional electrical section, not just a separately assembled physical unit
subcomponent
vssubcircuit
  • Specialized
1 4.7

A smaller part of a larger machine or system

is a specific electrical section designed to perform one function and be reused
submodule
vssubcircuit
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A smaller part of a larger program or system that works alone

focuses on electrical functional sections rather than independently operating units

Surface Forms

subcircuit singular
subcircuits plural

Morphology

subcircuit = circuit (transparent) = sub + circuit

Formed by the productive prefix 'sub-' meaning 'under/secondary' plus 'circuit', so the meaning 'a smaller or subordinate circuit' is directly inferable.

Etymology

Subcircuit combines the part sub- meaning 'under' or 'below' and circuit meaning 'a path' or 'loop'. So a subcircuit is like a smaller loop or part inside a larger circuit, which is why the word names a small, separate section that does a specific job.