electric arc

American  

noun

1. arc.

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electric arc Scientific  

1. An electric current, often strong, brief, and luminous, in which electrons jump across a gap. Electric arcs across specially designed electrodes can produce very high heats and bright light, and are used for such purposes as welding and illumination in spotlights. Unwanted arcs in electrical circuits can cause fires. Lightning is a case of an electric arc between one cloud and the earth or another cloud, as are sparks caused by discharges of static electricity.

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Etymology

Origin of electric arc

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

electric arc

Chief Executive Rajat Marwah said the company is encouraged by the early performance of its first electric arc furnace, which he said is operating continuously and meeting product quality specifications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

That said, a shift to electric arc furnace production sets BlueScope’s business there “up for sustained success,” say Wilson and Reilly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 2, 2025

But 400,000 tonnes of material has now been cleared from the site, and up to 1,200 workers will help in constructing a new £1.25bn electric arc furnace which will melt scrap steel.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025

While the old blast furnace structures are still standing, the area where the electric arc furnace will stand is being cleared ahead of construction.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025

This tends to blow the arc out, as a puff of wind blows out a candle, an effect which a magnet always has upon an electric arc.

From Marvels of Scientific Invention An Interesting Account in Non-technical Language of the Invention of Guns, Torpedoes, Submarine Mines, Up-to-date Smelting, Freezing, Colour Photography, and many other recent Discoveries of Science by Corbin, Thomas W.