rheostat

American  

[ree-uh-stat] / ˈri əˌstæt /

noun

Electricity.

1. an adjustable resistor so constructed that its resistance may be changed without opening the circuit in which it is connected, thereby controlling the current in the circuit.

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rheostat British  

/ ˈriːəˌstæt /

noun

1. a variable resistance, usually consisting of a coil of wire with a terminal at one end and a sliding contact that moves along the coil to tap off the current

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rheostat Scientific  

/ rē′ə-stăt′ /

1. See under resistor

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Other Word Forms

• rheostatic adjective

Etymology

Origin of rheostat

First recorded in 1843; rheo- + -stat

Example Sentences

In a screen to identify key regulators of this process, retinoic acid, the biologically active form of Vitamin A, surfaced as a surprising rheostat.

From Science Daily

What is revealed is hardly as important as being made to wait for it‌: a pile of wires and rheostats transformed into a sculpture that breathes in an endless night.

From New York Times

“It’s not an on-off switch. It’s a rheostat,” the former senior official said.

From Washington Post

Rather than a binary on/off switch, conflict is now seen as something closer to a rheostat, which can be dialed up or down as conditions require.

From Washington Post

“It’s more of a rheostat than a switch, really.”

From Literature