dynamo
1 Americannoun
plural
dynamos-
an electric generator, especially for direct current.
-
an energetic, hardworking, forceful person.
combining form
noun
-
a device for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, esp one that produces direct current Compare generator
-
informal an energetic hard-working person
Etymology
Origin of dynamo
First recorded in 1882; short for dynamoelectric
Explanation
A dynamo creates energy. It’s short for "dynamoelectric machine," which is a generator that cranks out electric currents. If someone calls you a dynamo, don’t get mad, it just means you’re energetic. The word dynamo comes from the Greek dynamis for "power." Boom! It’s like dynamite! The inventor of the dynamo-electric machine knew that when he named the device that turns mechanical power into electric current. Dynamos have been used to make power since the 1800’s. Since dynamo is such a snappy name, it’s often used to describe high-energy people, too. Is your room a disaster? Call an organizing dynamo to help you clean it up.
Vocabulary lists containing dynamo
Name On: Pro Sports Team Names, Part 2
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It's not by itself conclusive, but it suggests that maybe the dynamo was in a slightly different regime than today," he said.
From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026
Yvonne Carvalho, a 5-foot dynamo with oversize black glasses and purple MAC lipstick, greeted the nurse anesthesiologist with a bear hug and questions about her dating life and her daughter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025
When David Ellison took the reins of Paramount Skydance just four months ago, he promised to rapidly transform the storied movie studio and television business into a tech-forward dynamo well positioned for growth.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 6, 2025
Aubrey owns Eternal, parent company of food delivery dynamo Zomato, and FSN E-Commerce Ventures, parent of beauty products site Nykaa.
From Barron's • Nov. 20, 2025
Lyra was so close to Iorek that she could feel a trembling in him like a great dynamo, generating mighty anbaric forces.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
