RHEOSTAT

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

Resistor for regulating current

Synonyms:

rheostat; variable resistor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("rheostat" is a kind of...):

resistance; resistor (an electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current)

Meronyms (parts of "rheostat"):

contact arm; wiper; wiper arm (contact consisting of a conducting arm that rotates over a series of fixed contacts and comes to rest on an outlet)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rheostat"):

dimmer (a rheostat that varies the current through an electric light in order to control the level of illumination)