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solenoid

[ soh-luh-noid, sol-uh- ]
/ ˈsoʊ ləˌnɔɪd, ˈsɒl ə- /

noun

Electricity. an electric conductor wound as a helix with small pitch, or as two or more coaxial helices, so that current through the conductor establishes a magnetic field within the conductor.
Also called solenoid switch . a switch controlled by such an arrangement, in which a metal rod moves when the current is turned on: used in automotive starting systems.
Meteorology. a space formed by the intersection of isobaric and isosteric surfaces.

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Origin of solenoid

1825–35; <French solénoïde<Greek sōlḗn pipe, channel + French -oïde-oid

Words nearby solenoid

solemn vow, solenette, solenocyte, solenodon, solenogaster, solenoid, solenoidal, Solent, soleplate, soleprint, Soler
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for solenoid

British Dictionary definitions for solenoid

solenoid
/ (ˈsəʊlɪˌnɔɪd) /

noun

a coil of wire, usually cylindrical, in which a magnetic field is set up by passing a current through it
a coil of wire, partially surrounding an iron core, that is made to move inside the coil by the magnetic field set up by a current: used to convert electrical to mechanical energy, as in the operation of a switch
such a device used as a relay, as in a motor vehicle for connecting the battery directly to the starter motor when activated by the ignition switch

Derived forms of solenoid

solenoidal, adjectivesolenoidally, adverb

Word Origin for solenoid

C19: from French solénoïde, from Greek sōlēn a pipe, tube
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 solenoid

solenoid
[ sō′lə-noid′ ]

A coil of wire that acts as an electromagnet when electric current is passed through it, often used to control the motion of metal objects, such as the switch of a relay.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.