ELECTRICITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does electricity mean? 

• ELECTRICITY (noun)
  The noun ELECTRICITY has 3 senses:

1. a physical phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons and protons

2. energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor

3. keen and shared excitement

  Familiarity information: ELECTRICITY used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ELECTRICITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A physical phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons and protons

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Hypernyms ("electricity" is a kind of...):

physical phenomenon (a natural phenomenon involving the physical properties of matter and energy)

Domain member category:

transposition ((electricity) a rearrangement of the relative positions of power lines in order to minimize the effects of mutual capacitance and inductance)

multiphase; polyphase (of an electrical system that uses or generates two or more alternating voltages of the same frequency but differing in phase angle)

galvanic; voltaic (pertaining to or producing electric current by chemical action)

inductive (arising from inductance)

low-tension; low-voltage (subjected to or capable of operating under relative low voltage)

high-tension (subjected to or capable of operating under relatively high voltage)

alternating ((of a current) reversing direction)

direct ((of a current) flowing in one direction only)

hot; live (charged or energized with electricity)

outlet box ((electricity) receptacle consisting of the metal box designed for connections to a wiring system)

earth; ground (a connection between an electrical device and a large conducting body, such as the earth (which is taken to be at zero voltage))

amplification ((electronics) the act of increasing voltage or power or current)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "electricity"):

galvanism (electricity produced by chemical action)

hydroelectricity (electricity produced by water power)

photoelectricity (electricity generated by light or affected by light)

piezo effect; piezoelectric effect; piezoelectricity (electricity produced by mechanical pressure on certain crystals (notably quartz or Rochelle salt); alternatively, electrostatic stress produces a change in the linear dimensions of the crystal)

static electricity (electricity produced by friction)

current electricity; dynamic electricity (a flow of electric charge)

thermoelectricity (electricity produced by heat (as in a thermocouple))

Derivation:

electric (using or providing or producing or transmitting or operated by electricity)

electrify (equip for use with electricity)

electrify (charge (a conductor) with electricity)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Synonyms:

electrical energy; electricity; power

Context example:

The power went oout around midnight

Hypernyms ("electricity" is a kind of...):

energy; free energy ((physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "electricity"):

AC; alternating current; alternating electric current (an electric current that reverses direction sinusoidally)

DC; direct current; direct electric current (an electric current that flows in one direction steadily)

signal (an electric quantity (voltage or current or field strength) whose modulation represents coded information about the source from which it comes)

Derivation:

electric (using or providing or producing or transmitting or operated by electricity)

electrify (equip for use with electricity)

electrify (charge (a conductor) with electricity)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Keen and shared excitement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Context example:

the stage crackled with electricity whenever she was on it

Hypernyms ("electricity" is a kind of...):

stir (emotional agitation and excitement)

Derivation:

electric ((of a situation) exceptionally tense)

electrify (excite suddenly and intensely)

 Context examples 

Testing to detect the amount of electricity leakage from the device.

(Device Current Leakage Testing Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

A device that converts electricity to heat.

(Electric Warmer, NCI Thesaurus)

In medicine, a device such as a small metal plate or needle that carries electricity from an instrument to a patient for treatment or surgery.

(Electrode, NCI Dictionary)

Injuries to tissues caused by contact with heat, steam, chemicals (BURNS, CHEMICAL), electricity (BURNS, ELECTRIC), or the like.

(Burn, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

However, it has previously used electricity at very high voltages that could be dangerous to human skin.

(Scientists Develop Spray Gun to Paint Bandages onto Wounds, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

But most Africans live in rural areas with no electricity.

(Shining light at night quells mosquito bites, SciDev.Net)

Hydropower generation — that meets much of the region’s electricity needs — will significantly go down after 2060.

(Bulk of Himalayan glaciers could vanish by 2100, SciDev.Net)

The easier that electrons can move around in a solar cell material, the more efficient that material will be at converting photons, particles of light, into electricity.

(Potassium gives perovskite-based solar cells an efficiency boost, University of Cambridge)

A change in the heat and electricity passed through the skin by nerves and sweat.

(Electrodermal response, NCI Dictionary)

An engine designed to produce electricity or a device designed to produce a vapor or gas.

(Generator Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)