CIRCUIT BREAKER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does circuit breaker mean? 

• CIRCUIT BREAKER (noun)
  The noun CIRCUIT BREAKER has 1 sense:

1. a device that trips like a switch and opens the circuit when overloaded

  Familiarity information: CIRCUIT BREAKER used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CIRCUIT BREAKER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A device that trips like a switch and opens the circuit when overloaded

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

breaker; circuit breaker

Hypernyms ("circuit breaker" is a kind of...):

electrical fuse; fuse; safety fuse (an electrical device that can interrupt the flow of electrical current when it is overloaded)

 Context examples 

The researchers compared the newly discovered circuit breaker mechanism to lightning striking a city power grid: Lights may flicker over the whole city, but once the circuit breaker activates, only part of the city loses power.

(Researchers discover mitochondrial “circuit breaker” that protects heart from damage, NIH)

One of those mechanisms, the researchers found, acts much like a circuit breaker, allowing energy to continue moving throughout the heart muscle cells even when individual components of those cells—the mitochondria—have been damaged.

(Researchers discover mitochondrial “circuit breaker” that protects heart from damage, NIH)