electricity
Americannoun
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the science dealing with electric charges and currents.
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a state or feeling of excitement, anticipation, tension, etc.
noun
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any phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons, ions, or other charged particles
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the science concerned with electricity
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an electric current or charge
a motor powered by electricity
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emotional tension or excitement, esp between or among people
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The collection of physical effects related to the force and motion of electrically charged particles, typically electrons, through or across matter and space.
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See also circuit conductor electric potential
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Electric current, or a source of electric current.
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A buildup of electric charge.
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See also static electricity
Etymology
Origin of electricity
Explanation
Electricity is the energy that powers your lights and appliances. Electricity is the stuff that Benjamin Franklin harnessed from lightning using a key and a kite. Don't try that on your own. The word electricity comes from the Greek electron, which doesn’t mean what you might expect. It means "amber," that yellow or reddish brown stone used for jewelry. The ancients noticed that when you rub amber, it gets an electrostatic charge and will pick up light things like feathers and straw. You can also describe other kinds of energy as electricity — when you're really crazy about someone, you can say there's electricity between the two of you.
Vocabulary lists containing electricity
Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer - Introductory
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Engineering - Introductory
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Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer - Middle School
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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.
Stone said during the Carrington Event, "even telegraph wires were heard to hum and crackle, and they were able to run the telegraph poles without any electricity because the input was so high".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
It hopes to eventually develop reactors that could produce the equivalent of 15,000 homes’ worth of electricity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
The town, just a short drive from the capital, Pristina, produces almost all of the country's electricity by burning lignite, the lowest-quality and dirtiest coal, dug from nearby pits.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Malaysia’s energy transition plan and strong electricity demand could further support Tenaga’s growth, the analyst adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
How could the people who owned such rich farms, such beautiful furniture and gardens, modern bathrooms, and electricity to run refrigerators have ever needed to come take over the Soviet Union’s peasant huts?
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
