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rheostat.

Noun
Sci-FiSettingTechnical
MEANING

A variable resistor used to control current by changing resistance in a circuit.

Use it for

current varied through resistance; a mechanical adjustment in older equipment; electrical control distinguished from voltage division alone

Words that belong together

  • a rheostat control
  • adjust a rheostat

On the page

The rheostat control grew warm under the sustained load.
He adjusted the rheostat until the lamp settled at a lower brightness.

Related words

current-control variable resistoradjustable resistance
Word forms
Base
rheostat

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Science-fiction vocabulary

Usage notes

Primary category: sci-fi. Forms: Singular rheostat; plural rheostats. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.

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