watt

[wot]

noun

the standard unit of power in the International System of Units(SI), equivalent to one joule per second and equal to the power in a circuit in which a current of one ampere flows across a potential difference of one volt. Abbreviation: W, w.

Origin of watt

First recorded in 1882; named after J. Watt

Watt

[wot]

noun

James,1736–1819, Scottish engineer and inventor.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for watt

Contemporary Examples of watt

Watt never did anything to regain his position, although it bothered him for the rest of his life.
In 2005, ‘Iowa Nice’ Ernst Helped to Oust Veterans From Local Board After They Opposed Her Candidacy
Ben Jacobs
October 13, 2014
Blanche was a fragile white moth beating against the unbreakable sides of a 1000 watt bulb.
Elia Kazan to Tennessee Williams: You Gotta Suffer to Sing the Blues
Elia Kazan
May 1, 2014
Watt was the first sitting member of Congress to be filibustered since before the Civil War.
The GOP’s Nuclear Winter Strategy
Eleanor Clift
December 2, 2013
But, like Watt, Millett is the Democratic nominee of a Democratic president.
Why Democrats Should End Nomination Filibusters
Jamelle Bouie
October 31, 2013
Watt is the first sitting member of Congress to be blocked for an appointment since 1843.
Why Democrats Should End Nomination Filibusters
Jamelle Bouie
October 31, 2013

Historical Examples of watt

His originality as an inventor has indeed been called in question, like that of Watt and Stephenson.
Self-Help
Samuel Smiles
Next morning Watt began to put his scheme to the test and found it practicable.
The Age of Invention
Holland Thompson
Those who worked without Watt's engine could hardly succeed.
The Age of Invention
Holland Thompson
The same is true of the "3-25 watt (lamps), in series" listed in the table.
The Automobile Storage Battery
O. A. Witte
The lamp you use should be an ordinary 25, 40, or 60 watt vacuum lamp.
Common Science
Carleton W. Washburne

British Dictionary definitions for watt

watt

noun

the derived SI unit of power, equal to 1 joule per second; the power dissipated by a current of 1 ampere flowing across a potential difference of 1 volt. 1 watt is equivalent to 1.341 × 10 –3 horsepowerSymbol: W

Word Origin for watt

C19: named after James Watt

Watt

noun

James. 1736–1819, Scottish engineer and inventor. His fundamental improvements to the steam engine led to the widespread use of steam power in industry

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

Word Origin and History for watt

unit of electrical power, 1882, in honor of James Watt (1736-1819), Scottish engineer and inventor.

watt in Medicine

watt

[wŏt]

n.

A unit of power in the International System of Units equal to one joule per second.

watt in Science

watt

[wŏt]

The SI derived unit used to measure power, equal to one joule per second. In electricity, a watt is equal to current (in amperes) multiplied by voltage (in volts).

Watt

James 1736-1819

British engineer and inventor who patented a much improved version of the steam engine (1769) and devised the unit of horsepower. The watt unit of power is named for him.

watt in Culture

watt

The basic unit of power, named after the eighteenth-century Scottish inventor James Watt.