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Showing results for commutate.

commutate

American  
[kom-yuh-teyt] / ˈkɒm yəˌteɪt /

verb (used with object)

Electricity.
commutated, commutating
  1. to reverse the direction of (a current or currents), as by a commutator.

  2. to convert (alternating current) into direct current by use of a commutator.


commutate British  
/ ˈkɒmjʊˌteɪt /

verb

  1. to reverse the direction of (an electric current)

  2. 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