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direct current
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noun
Electricity. an electric current of constant direction, having a magnitude that does not vary or varies only slightly. Abbreviation: dc
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Compare alternating current.
Origin of direct current
First recorded in 1885–90
OTHER WORDS FROM direct current
di·rect-cur·rent, adjectiveWords nearby direct current
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use direct current in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for direct current
direct current
noun
a continuous electric current that flows in one direction only, without substantial variation in magnitudeAbbreviation: DC Compare alternating 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
Scientific definitions for direct current
direct current
[ dÄ-rÄ•kt′ ]
An electric current that moves in one direction with constant strength. Batteries are a source of direct current. Direct current is not used for long-distance power transmission because it is difficult to step up the voltage to a level that is efficient for energy transfer and then to step the voltage back down again for safe domestic use. Compare alternating current. See Notes at current Tesla.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for direct current
direct current
The electric current (see also current) in which the electrons flow in one direction only. (Compare alternating current (AC).)
notes for direct current
DC is usually supplied by batteries.
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.