rheostat
UK /ˈɹiː.ə.stat/ · US /ˈɹi.əˌstæt/ noun
Forms rheostats reostat
- noun (electronics, technology) An electrical resistor with two terminals, the resistance of which can be varied continuously by moving a knob or slider to regulate the flow of an electric current.
- noun Such a device used to regulate the brightness of an electric light; a dimmer.
- noun (figurative) A notional device which causes some quality to vary.
Synonyms
Etymology
From rheo- (prefix meaning ‘current; flow’) + -stat (suffix forming the names of scientific instruments which render the prefixed elements static or stationary in some respect), coined by the English physicist and inventor Charles Wheatstone (1802–1875) in an 1843 journal article: see the quotation.
* Rheo- is derived from Ancient Greek ῥέω (rhéō, “to flow, stream”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *srew- (“to flow, stream”), possibly from *ser- (“to flow”).
* -Stat is derived from Ancient Greek -στάτης (-státēs), from ῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ, “to stand; to stop”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A contrivance for adjusting or regulating the strength of electrical currents, operating usually by the intercalation of resistance which can be varied at will. Wheatstone. --Rhe`o*stat"ic, a.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “rheostat”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details