condenser

American  

[kuhn-den-ser] / kənˈdɛn sər /

noun

1. a person or thing that condenses.

2. an apparatus for condensing.

3. any device for reducing gases or vapors to liquid or solid form.

4. Optics. a lens or combination of lenses that gathers and concentrates light in a specified direction, often used to direct light onto the projection lens in a projection system.

5. Electricity. capacitor.

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condenser British  

/ kənˈdɛnsə /

noun

1. 1. an apparatus for reducing gases to their liquid or solid form by the abstraction of heat

   2. a device for abstracting heat, as in a refrigeration unit

2. a lens that concentrates light into a small area

3. another name for capacitor

4. a person or device that condenses

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condenser Scientific  

/ kən-dĕn′sər /

1. An apparatus used to condense vapor, usually using cooling or pressurization.

2. See capacitor

3. A mirror, lens, or combination of lenses used to gather light and direct it upon an object or through a projection lens.

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Other Word Forms

• intercondenser noun

Etymology

Origin of condenser

First recorded in 1680–90; condense + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Matthew Gallo was waiting for an automotive part from the U.K. for his vintage Jaguar when he got an email from his carrier saying the $1,600 air-conditioner condenser had been destroyed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

In my power reactor operating experience, we did not change the flow rate of condenser cooling water as the outside temperature increased.

From Washington Post • Aug. 17, 2022

This cardioid condenser mic is great for podcasting and streaming, and it comes with a small desktop tripod.

From The Verge • Aug. 11, 2022

If you set the temperature lower but it’s hovering above the maximum temp of 40 degrees, Sherman suggests cleaning your condenser coils, which pump refrigerant into your appliance to keep everything cold.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 8, 2021

Maybe it’s wax dripping from the condenser or charcoal built up on a resistor.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr