Leyden jar
noun Electricity.
a device for storing electric charge, consisting essentially of a glass jar lined inside and outside, for about two-thirds of its height, with tinfoil.
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Origin of Leyden jar
First recorded in 1815–25; so called because invented in Leyden
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for leyden jar
The Leyden-jar should be charged when the instrument is used.
A Treatise on Meteorological Instruments|Henry NegrettiThe whole instrument is enclosed in a metal cage, to protect the glass Leyden-jar and the delicate needle.
A Treatise on Meteorological Instruments|Henry NegrettiHe had felt the power of a Leyden-jar discharge, and through it had nearly lost his life.
The Story of Great Inventions|Elmer Ellsworth BurnsThese plates are in connection with the inner coating of a Leyden-jar, and are termed the attracting plates.
A Treatise on Meteorological Instruments|Henry Negretti
British Dictionary definitions for leyden jar
Leyden jar
noun
physics an early type of capacitor consisting of a glass jar with the lower part of the inside and outside coated with tin foil
Word Origin for Leyden jar
C18: first made in Leiden
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for leyden jar
Leyden jar
[ līd′n ]
An early device for storing electric charge that uses the same principle as a modern capacitor. It consists of a glass jar with conductive metal foil covering its inner and outer surfaces, with the glass insulating these surfaces from each other. The inner surface is charged (by an external source) through an electrode penetrating the top of the jar; the inner and outer foil layers can then hold an equal and opposite charge.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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