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constantan

[ kawn-stuh n-tan ]
/ ˈkɔn stənˌtæn /

noun

an alloy containing approximately 55 percent copper and approximately 45 percent nickel, used for electrical resistance heating and thermocouples.

Nearby words

  1. constant of integration,
  2. constant positive pressure breathing,
  3. constant region,
  4. constant, benjamin,
  5. constant-velocity joint,
  6. constantia,
  7. constantine,
  8. constantine i,
  9. constantine ii,
  10. constantine the great

Origin of constantan

First recorded in 1900–05; constant + -an
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for constantan

constantan

/ (ˈkɒnstənˌtæn) /

noun

an alloy of copper (60 per cent) and nickel (40 per cent). It has a high resistivity that does not vary significantly with temperature and is used in resistors and, with copper, in thermocouples

Word Origin for constantan

C20: formed from constant
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