electric current

American  

noun

Electricity.

1. the time rate of flow of electric charge, in the direction that a positive moving charge would take and having magnitude equal to the quantity of charge per unit time: measured in amperes.

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electric current British  

noun

1. another name for current

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current, electric ¹ Cultural  

1. The flow of electrical charge, usually electrons. (See Benjamin Franklin.)

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current, electric ² Cultural  

1. The flow of large numbers of electrons through a conductor. (See alternating current, conduction, and direct current.)

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Etymology

Origin of electric current

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

What made that possible was a “pickup,” essentially a magnet mounted under the strings that turned vibrations into an electric current that connects to an amplifier.

From The Wall Street Journal

His skin started to tingle, like a light electric current was using him as a conduit.

From Literature

Tests showed that these structures behave like switchable diodes, meaning electric current travels more easily in one direction than the other.

From Science Daily

As the light reflects back and forth, it interacts with atoms energized by an electric current.

From Science Daily

Physicists often describe electric current as electrons speeding through a material, pushed or redirected by electromagnetic forces as they move.

From Science Daily