corona discharge
- a discharge, frequently luminous, at the surface of a conductor or between two conductors of the same transmission line, accompanied by ionization of the surrounding atmosphere and often by a power loss.
Show More
Compare brush discharge.
Origin of corona discharge
First recorded in 1915–20
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
corona discharge
- an electrical discharge appearing on and around the surface of a charged conductor, caused by ionization of the surrounding gasAlso called: corona See also Saint Elmo's fire
Show More
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
corona discharge
- An electrical discharge characterized by a corona, occurring when one of two conducting surfaces (such as electrodes) of differing voltages has a pointed shape, resulting in a highly concentrated electric field at its tip that ionizes the air (or other gas) around it. Corona discharge can result in power loss in the transmission of electric power, and is used in photocopying machines and air-purification devices. See also electric arc.
Show More
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.