autotransformer

American

[aw-toh-trans-fawr-mer] / ˌɔ toʊ trænsˈfɔr mər /

noun

Electricity.

a transformer having a single coil that serves as both a primary coil and a secondary coil.

autotransformer British

/ ˌɔːtəʊtrænsˈfɔːmə /

noun

a transformer in which part of the winding is common to both primary and secondary circuits

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of autotransformer

First recorded in 1890–95; auto- ¹ + transformer

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.

Von der Leyen said the EU would provide 200 medium-sized transformers and a large autotransformer from Lithuania, a medium-sized autotransformer from Latvia and 40 heavy generators from the EU reserve in Romania.

From Reuters

The Ukrainians have tried to buy up every autotransformer they can find, going as far as South Korea to purchase them, but they still need to place orders for more to be built.

From Washington Post

Each autotransformer weighs more than 500 pounds, Kudrytskyi said, making it a large, easy target for bombing while in transit.

From Washington Post

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023