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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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Origin of direct current

First recorded in 1885–90

OTHER WORDS FROM direct current

di·rect-cur·rent, adjective
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
[ dĭ-rĕkt′ ]

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.
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