direct current

noun

Definition of direct current

: an electric current flowing in one direction only and substantially constant in value —abbreviation DC

Examples of direct current in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These handy devices hook up to car batteries and convert 12-volt direct current into 120-volt AC current. — Doreen Christensen, sun-sentinel.com, "How to survive Hurricane Dorian like a true Florida native: Buy booze | Christensen," 29 Aug. 2019 Now turn the rotary switch (dial) to Volts DC; because batteries supply direct current (DC), not alternating current (AC). — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "How To Use a Digital Multimeter," 25 July 2019 However, Earth's currents are driven by direct currents, whereas Jupiter's are not. — Fox News, "Mysterious alternating currents found on Jupiter," 17 July 2019 Now, McKay is recording outs in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays, and Louisville head coach McDonnell is directing current athletes to his former star as a model for success. — Ryan Kolakowski, The Courier-Journal, "Former Louisville star Brendan McKay keeps his cool with the Tampa Bay Rays," 1 July 2019 Elisabeth Hertenstein at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and her colleagues have done just that, using a technology known as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). — The Economist, "Zapping the brain improves creativity," 14 June 2019 The system has two inverters, which convert the direct current (DC) output from the photovoltaic panels into appliance-friendly alternating current (AC) power. — Amy Gamerman, WSJ, "The Homes Where Families Go Off the Grid," 27 Sep. 2018 One new technology Olympians are using this year is transcranial direct current stimulation, or TDCS. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte broke doping rules. It happens far more than you think.," 24 July 2018 The night before the event, the organizers realized that the hotel's electric supply was direct current and the ranges required alternating current. — Judy Buchenot, Naperville Sun, "Suburban Cooks: Mints go from trash to treasured cookies," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'direct current.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.