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current

[kur-uhnt, kuhr-]
adjective
  1. passing in time; belonging to the time actually passing: the current month.
  2. prevalent; customary: the current practice.
  3. popular; in vogue: current fashions.
  4. new; present; most recent: the current issue of a publication.
  5. publicly reported or known: a rumor that is current.
  6. passing from one to another; circulating, as a coin.
  7. Archaic. running; flowing.
  8. Obsolete. genuine; authentic.
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noun
  1. a flowing; flow, as of a river.
  2. something that flows, as a stream.
  3. a large portion of air, large body of water, etc., moving in a certain direction.
  4. the speed at which such flow moves; velocity of flow.
  5. Electricity. electric current.
  6. a course, as of time or events; the main course; the general tendency.
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Origin of current

1250–1300; < Latin current- (stem of currēns) running (present participle of currere); replacing Middle English curraunt < Anglo-French < Latin as above; see -ent
Related formscur·rent·ly, adverbnon·cur·rent, adjectivenon·cur·rent·ly, adverbpre·cur·rent, adjectiveun·cur·rent, adjectiveun·cur·rent·ly, adverb
Can be confusedcurrant current

Synonyms

2. common, widespread, popular, rife. 3. stylish, fashionable, modish.

Synonym study

2. Current, present, prevailing, prevalent refer to something generally or commonly in use. That which is current is in general circulation or a matter of common knowledge or acceptance: current usage in English. Present refers to that which is in use now; it always has the sense of time: present customs. That which is prevailing is that which has superseded others: prevailing fashion. That which is prevalent exists or is spread widely: a prevalent idea. 10. See stream.

Antonyms

2. obsolete. 3. old-fashioned.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for non-current

Historical Examples

  • With regard to the money question, the stranger in Algeria must beware of false and non-current coin.

    In the Land of Mosques &amp; Minarets

    Francis Miltoun

British Dictionary definitions for non-current

current

adjective
  1. of the immediate present; in progresscurrent events
  2. most recent; up-to-date
  3. commonly known, practised, or accepted; widespreada current rumour
  4. circulating and valid at presentcurrent coins
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noun
  1. (esp of water or air) a steady usually natural flow
  2. a mass of air, body of water, etc, that has a steady flow in a particular direction
  3. the rate of flow of such a mass
  4. Also called: electric current physics
    1. a flow of electric charge through a conductor
    2. the rate of flow of this charge. It is measured in amperesSymbol: I
  5. a general trend or driftcurrents of opinion
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Derived Formscurrently, adverbcurrentness, noun

Word Origin

C13: from Old French corant, literally: running, from corre to run, from Latin currere
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for non-current

current

n.

late 14c., from Middle French corant (Modern French courant), from Old French corant (see current (adj.)). Applied 1747 to the flow of electrical force.

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current

adj.

c.1300, "running, flowing," from Old French corant "running, lively, eager, swift," present participle of corre "to run," from Latin currere "to run, move quickly" (of persons or things), from PIE *kers- "to run" (cf. Greek -khouros "running," Lithuanian karsiu "go quickly," Old Norse horskr "swift," Old Irish and Middle Welsh carr "cart, wagon," Breton karr "chariot," Welsh carrog "torrent"). Meaning "prevalent, generally accepted" is from 1560s.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
non-current in Medicine

current

(kûr′ənt)
n.
  1. A stream or flow of a liquid or gas.
  2. A flow of electric charge.
  3. The amount of electric charge flowing past a specified circuit point per unit time.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
non-current in Science

current

[kûr′ənt]
  1. A flowing movement in a liquid, gas, plasma, or other form of matter, especially one that follows a recognizable course.
  2. A flow of positive electric charge. The strength of current flow in any medium is related to voltage differences in that medium, as well as the electrical properties of the medium, and is measured in amperes. Since electrons are stipulated to have a negative charge, current in an electrical circuit actually flows in the opposite direction of the movement of electrons. See also electromagnetism Ohm's law. See Note at electric charge.
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A Closer Look: Electric current is the phenomenon most often experienced in the form of electricity. Any time an object with a net electric charge is in motion, such as an electron in a wire or a positively charged ion jetting into the atmosphere from a solar flare, there is an electric current; the total current moving through some cross-sectional area in a given direction is simply the amount of positive charge moving through that cross-section. Current is sometimes confused with electric potential or voltage, but a voltage difference between two points (such as the two terminals of a battery) means only that current can potentially flow between them; how much does in fact flow depends on the resistance of the material between the two points. Electrical signals transmitted through a wire generally propagate at nearly the speed of light, but the current in the wire actually moves very slowly: pushing electrons into one end of the wire is rather like pushing a marble into one end of a tube filled with marbles-a marble (or electron) gets pushed out the other end almost instantly, even though the marbles (or electrons) inside move only incrementally.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.