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short circuit
short circuitnounan abnormal, usually unintentional condition of relatively low resistance between two points of different potential in a circuit, usually resulting in a flow of excess current.
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short-circuit
short-circuitverb (used with object)
short circuit
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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Electricity.
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to make (an appliance, switch, etc.) inoperable by establishing a short circuit in.
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to carry (a current) as a short circuit.
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to bypass, impede, hinder, or frustrate.
Bad weather short-circuited my vacation plans.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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to develop or cause to develop a short circuit
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(tr) to bypass (a procedure, regulation, etc)
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(tr) to hinder or frustrate (plans, etc)
Etymology
Origin of short circuit1
First recorded in 1875–80
Origin of short-circuit2
First recorded in 1870–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fire may have been caused by a short circuit, he said.
From Barron's • Oct. 12, 2025
I could still hear the words, feel the numbness settle in, like a short circuit in my brain.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2025
International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons ran a short circuit of the athletics track following the ignition earlier.
From BBC • Aug. 24, 2024
Additionally, when lithium grows in one direction, it can reach the cathode on the opposite side, causing an internal short circuit.
From Science Daily • May 23, 2024
The reason why we didn’t have no juice—along with half of our floor—was because of a short circuit in the walls.
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.