static
[ stat-ik ]
/ ˈstæt ɪk /
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adjective Also stat·i·cal .
noun
Electricity.
- static or atmospheric electricity.
- interference due to such electricity.
Informal. difficulty; trouble: Will your dad give you any static on using the car?
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Origin of static
historical usage of static
The adjective static comes into English via New Latin staticus, which dates from the late 16th century and means “relating to weighing.”
Staticus is a straightforward borrowing of Greek statikós with the same meaning. Statica, the feminine singular of staticus, is short for ars statica “the art, science, or technique of weighing,” also dating from the late 16th century, and is a translation of Greek téchnē statikē (which, in the 16th century, wasn't just a matter of putting something on a postage meter or bathroom scale). Statikós is a derivative of the adjective statós “(of a horse or water) standing still.” Statics, the branch of mechanics that deals with bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium, is a derivative of Latin statica and Greek statikē.
The noun sense of static, used in telecommunications and electromagnetics, is a relatively new development, from the late 19th century. It refers to atmospheric electricity and the interference due to it. Out of this developed a figurative sense that we use informally today to complain about someone interfering with what we want to do (that is, giving us trouble or difficulty): “Stop giving me static about this!”
Staticus is a straightforward borrowing of Greek statikós with the same meaning. Statica, the feminine singular of staticus, is short for ars statica “the art, science, or technique of weighing,” also dating from the late 16th century, and is a translation of Greek téchnē statikē (which, in the 16th century, wasn't just a matter of putting something on a postage meter or bathroom scale). Statikós is a derivative of the adjective statós “(of a horse or water) standing still.” Statics, the branch of mechanics that deals with bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium, is a derivative of Latin statica and Greek statikē.
The noun sense of static, used in telecommunications and electromagnetics, is a relatively new development, from the late 19th century. It refers to atmospheric electricity and the interference due to it. Out of this developed a figurative sense that we use informally today to complain about someone interfering with what we want to do (that is, giving us trouble or difficulty): “Stop giving me static about this!”
OTHER WORDS FROM static
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use static in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for static
static
/ (ˈstætɪk) /
adjective Also: statical
noun
random hissing or crackling or a speckled picture caused by the interference of electrical disturbances in the reception of radio or television transmissions
electric sparks or crackling produced by friction
See also statics
Derived forms of static
statically, adverbWord Origin for static
C16: from New Latin staticus, from Greek statikos causing to stand, from histanai to stand, put on the scales
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for static
static
[ stăt′ĭk ]
Adjective
Having no motion; being at rest. Compare dynamic.
Relating to or producing static electricity.
Noun
Distortion or interruption of a broadcast signal, such as crackling or noise in a receiver or specks on a television screen, often produced when background electromagnetic radiation in the atmosphere disturbs signal reception or when there are loose connections in the transmission or reception circuits.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.