squirrel cage

[skwur-uhl keyj, skwuhr-uhl]

noun

1. hamster wheel.

2. a cage containing a hamster wheel.

squirrel cage

noun

1. a cage consisting of a cylindrical framework that is made to rotate by a small animal running inside the framework

2. a repetitive purposeless task, way of life, etc

3. Also called: squirrel-cage motor. electrical engineering the rotor of an induction motor with a cylindrical winding having copper bars around the periphery parallel to the axis

4. an electric fan with many long narrow blades arranged in parallel so as to form a cylinder about an axis around which they spin

Word History and Origins

Origin of squirrel cage¹

First recorded in 1815–25