short circuit

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noun Electricity.

an abnormal, usually unintentional condition of relatively low resistance between two points of different potential in a circuit, usually resulting in a flow of excess current.

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Origin of short circuit

First recorded in 1875–80

Words nearby short circuit

short bone, shortbread, shortcake, shortchange, short ciliary nerve, short circuit, short column, shortcoming, short-commons, short con, short corner

Other definitions for short circuit (2 of 2)

short-circuit

[ shawrt-sur-kit ]

/ ˌʃɔrtˈsɜr kɪt /

verb (used with object)

Electricity.

to make (an appliance, switch, etc.) inoperable by establishing a short circuit in.
to carry (a current) as a short circuit.

to bypass, impede, hinder, or frustrate: Bad weather short-circuited my vacation plans.

verb (used without object)

Electricity. to form a short circuit or become inoperable due to a short circuit.

Origin of short-circuit

First recorded in 1870–75

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use short circuit in a sentence

For example, there’s only so many strings you can daisy-chain together before you risk a short circuit.
How to keep a Christmas tree fresh for as long as possible|Dan Seitz|November 29, 2021|Popular-Science
If there’s a way to integrate data not currently integrated, note the omission, see if it’s possible to integrate missing data and if it’s not possible, note the short circuit and make sure all stakeholders are on the same page.
How to solve the marketing reporting conundrum without being a magician|Amanda Farley|October 20, 2021|Search Engine Land
Criteriums are fast multi-lap races held on short circuits, often in urban areas, where fans can see riders go by again and again.
Justin Williams Has a $100,000 Plan to Save American Bike Racing|jversteegh|September 16, 2021|Outside Online
COBINA President Altagracia Tamayo told La Voz de la Frontera, a local newspaper, it appears as though an electrical short circuit in one of the shelter’s bedrooms sparked the fire.
Fire destroys lesbian-run migrant shelter in Mexican border city|Michael K. Lavers|July 11, 2021|Washington Blade

The board could not determine with certainty the genesis of the explosion but cited a short circuit as a probable cause.
James Kallstrom, FBI agent who led investigation of TWA Flight 800, dies at 78|Emily Langer|July 8, 2021|Washington Post
As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The precision it took to craft such a cohesive, wholly compelling work over 12 years is nothing short of remarkable.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In short, fatherhood gets little attention in policy debates.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the qualities Mario Cuomo brought to public life—compassion, integrity, commitment to principle—remain in short supply today.
President Cuomo Would’ve Been a Lion|Jonathan Alter|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In short, we found ways to couch messages of failure or inadequacy.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating|Ellie Schaack|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Sometimes the stems are quite bare; on other occasions they are partly branched; in any case the branches are short.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
Many of their cannon balls that fell far short of us, were collected and returned to them with powerful effect.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
He was tall and of familiar figure, and the firelight was playing in the tossed curls of his short, fair hair.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
They are ovoid in shape, and lie in pairs, end to end, often forming short chains.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
And since he was a very fast runner—for short distances—he met Grandfather Mole just as the old chap was crawling up the bank.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for short circuit

short circuit

noun

a faulty or accidental connection between two points of different potential in an electric circuit, bypassing the load and establishing a path of low resistance through which an excessive current can flow. It can cause damage to the components if the circuit is not protected by a fuse

verb short-circuit

to develop or cause to develop a short circuit

(tr) to bypass (a procedure, regulation, etc)

(tr) to hinder or frustrate (plans, etc)

Sometimes (for senses 1, 2) shortened to: short

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

Scientific definitions for short circuit

short circuit

[ shôrt ]

An electrical path in a circuit that causes most of the current to flow around or away from some other path in the circuit. Accidental short circuits, especially between the high and low voltages of a power supply, can cause very strong current to flow, possibly damaging or overheating the circuit.

Cultural definitions for short circuit

short circuit

An electrical circuit in which a path of very low resistance has been opened, usually accidentally. When the resistance drops, the electric current (see also current) in the circuit becomes very high and can cause damage to the circuit and start fires.

short circuit

Origin of short circuit

Words nearby short circuit

Other definitions for short circuit (2 of 2)

Origin of short-circuit

Words related to short circuit

How to use short circuit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for short circuit

Scientific definitions for short circuit

Cultural definitions for short circuit