alternator
Americannoun
-
alternators
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of alternator
Explanation
An alternator is a generator that powers a running vehicle's electrical components and maintains the battery's charge. If your car won't start, you might need to replace the battery — or you may have a broken alternator. Alternators are devices that convert mechanical energy, usually rotational force from an engine or turbine, into electrical energy. Alternators get their name from the alternating current (A/C) that they create. They are an essential part of any car, keeping the battery charged and powering the headlights, stereo, and heated seats. Large power generators, yachts, and some trains also rely on alternators to keep their electrical systems running.
Vocabulary lists containing alternator
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.
See Examples For:
I’ve had to pay $1,000 for a new alternator for my 2007 Lexus.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 17, 2026
It’s charged off the alternator when driving and via an optional 180W solar panel mounted to the roof.
From The Verge ● May 2, 2022
In the end, Larson recovered after both the battery and alternator belt were changed in his Chevrolet to win for the seventh time this season and lead Elliott into the third round of the playoffs.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2021
There was some back and forth about the sickly alternator, and then Peter Derry, 28, offered a solution.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2018
The Susan Marie had gone dead in the water—the bolt shook loose in her alternator pulley bracket—on the night of September 15.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
As gas-powered cars fall out of favor, some auto parts will be rendered obsolete, such as hydraulic-based steering systems and alternators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2024
Valeo today repairs one million old products per year, mainly alternators, starters, brakes and clutches.
From Reuters ● Sep. 6, 2023
Their clever, but simple design allowed DIYers to create the mini plants from engines, alternators, condensers and scrap material scavenged from Gorazde’s bombed out factories, vehicles and homes.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 20, 2023
We can create power through the engines alternators and through the generator.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2017
He often prowled through junkyards touching old cars and buying old alternators and carburetors just for the joy of cleaning them up and making them work again.
From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech
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.
