three-wire system

American  

[three-wahy-er sis-tuhm] / ˌθriˈwaɪ ər ˈsɪs təm /

noun

1. Electricity. a system of electrical wiring in which a live wire carries current from the power source to the outlet or a connected device, a neutral wire completes the circuit back to the source, and a ground wire leads current into the earth or a ground connection in the event of a fault.

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Example Sentences

The three-wire system guards against thermal and shock hazards, utilizing live/hot, neutral, and earth/ground wires, and grounding the neutral wire and case of the appliance.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Figure 23.33 The standard three-prong plug can only be inserted in one way, to assure proper function of the three-wire system.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

The three-wire system replaced the older two-wire system, which lacks an earth/ground wire.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Modern household and industrial wiring requires the three-wire system, shown schematically in Figure 23.32, which has several safety features.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

A special type of street pole had been devised by him for the three-wire system.

From Edison, His Life and Inventions by Dyer, Frank Lewis