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

The loss was driven by the tariff costs and lower shipments of steel, as well as the company’s accelerated transition toward making its steel using electric arc furnaces, Algoma said.

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

Talks on scrapping tariffs on UK steel are on hold, with US officials raising concerns over Tata's shift from blast furnaces to new electric arc furnaces, due in 2027.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2025

Switching from traditional blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces can lower carbon emissions per tonne of steel produced from 2.32 tonnes of CO2 to 0.67 tonnes of CO2.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2025

The Electric Furnace and the Greatest Heat The greatest heat that has yet been produced artificially is that of the electric arc.

From The Story of Great Inventions by Burns, Elmer Ellsworth