commutate

American

[kom-yuh-teyt] / ˈkɒm yəˌteɪt /

verb (used with object)

Electricity.

commutated, commutating

to reverse the direction of (a current or currents), as by a commutator.
to convert (alternating current) into direct current by use of a commutator.

commutate British

/ ˈkɒmjʊˌteɪt /

verb

to reverse the direction of (an electric current)
to convert (an alternating current) into a direct current

"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 commutate

First recorded in 1645–55; back formation from commutation

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