dielectric

[ dahy-i-lek-trik ]
/ ˌdaɪ ɪˈlɛk trɪk /
Electricity

noun

a nonconducting substance; insulator.
a substance in which an electric field can be maintained with a minimum loss of power.

adjective

of or relating to a dielectric substance.

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earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of dielectric

First recorded in 1830–40; di-3 + electric

OTHER WORDS FROM dielectric

di·e·lec·tri·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby dielectric

diefenbaker, dieffenbachia, diegesis, diel, dieldrin, dielectric, dielectric constant, dielectric heating, dielectric lens, dielectric loss, dielectric strength
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for dielectric

British Dictionary definitions for dielectric

dielectric
/ (ˌdaɪɪˈlɛktrɪk) /

noun

a substance or medium that can sustain a static electric field within it
a substance or body of very low electrical conductivity; insulator

adjective

of, concerned with, or having the properties of a dielectric

Derived forms of dielectric

dielectrically, adverb

Word Origin for dielectric

from dia- + electric
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

Scientific definitions for dielectric

dielectric
[ dī′ĭ-lĕk′trĭk ]

Adjective

Having little or no ability to conduct electricity, generally as a result of having no electrons that are free to move.

Noun

A dielectric substance, especially one used in a capacitor to maintain an electric field between the plates.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for dielectric

dielectric
[ (deye-i-lek-trik) ]

A material that conducts (see conduction) electricity poorly or not at all. If a voltage is applied to a dielectric, the atoms in the material arrange themselves in such a way as to oppose the flow of electric current (see also current). Glass, wood, and plastic are common dielectrics. (See insulator.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.