phasor

[ fey-zer ]

noun

, Physics.

1. a vector that represents a sinusoidally varying quantity, as a current or voltage, by means of a line rotating about a point in a plane, the magnitude of the quantity being proportional to the length of the line and the phase of the quantity being equal to the angle between the line and a reference line.

phasor

/ ˈfeɪzɔː /

noun

1. electrical engineering a rotating vector representing a quantity, such as an alternating current or voltage, that varies sinusoidally

Word History and Origins

Origin of phasor¹

First recorded in 1940–45; phase + (vect)or