# electric

Pronunciation: say "i-LEK-trik" /ɪˈlɛktɹɪk/

## Adjective

1. Relating to, produced by, powered by, or using electricity, including musical instruments whose sound is made or amplified electronically.
   - Simple: Using or connected with electricity, including musical instruments that make their sound louder with electricity.
   - _The factory switched to electric machinery to cut its emissions._
   - _Modern electric vehicles can travel hundreds of miles on a single charge._
4. Emotionally thrilling; charged with intense excitement.
   - Simple: Very exciting in a way that fills people with strong feeling.
   - _The performance was electric, holding the audience breathless until the final note._
   - _There was an electric tension between the two rivals before the match began._

## Noun

2. Electricity, or the supply of electrical power to a home or building. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: The electricity that powers the lights and machines in a building.
   - _We need to top up the electric before the meter runs out._
   - _The landlord covers the electric as part of the rent._
3. A vehicle or device powered by electricity, such as a car, train, toothbrush, or typewriter, as distinct from one that is not. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A short name for something that runs on electricity, such as an electric car, train, or toothbrush.
   - _The railway is gradually replacing its diesels with electrics._
   - _She drives an electric to cut down on her fuel costs._

## Noun

5. A substance or object, such as amber or glass, that can be given an electric charge, as by rubbing, but does not conduct electricity. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A material like amber or glass that can hold a charge but does not let it flow through.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A form of fencing that uses a body wire, scoring box, and related equipment to register when a weapon touches an opponent.

## Origin

First attested around 1646, from New Latin ēlectricus ('electrical; of amber'), built from ēlectrum ('amber') and the adjective suffix -icus. The root traces to Ancient Greek ḗlektron ('amber'), of unknown origin. The Latin term was apparently first used with the sense 'electrical' by the English physician and scientist William Gilbert in his 1600 work De Magnete.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/electric (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).