power plant

noun

1
: an electric utility generating station
2
: an engine and related parts supplying the motive power of a self-propelled object (such as a rocket or automobile)

Examples of power plant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There was a heat wave amid power outages, the result of an Israeli attack on Gaza’s power plant and restrictions on diesel fuel. Laila El-Haddad, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 Maria Richards, coordinator at Southern Methodist University’s Geothermal Laboratory, in Dallas, says that one advantage of using millimeter waves is that the drilling can occur almost anywhere—including alongside existing power plants. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2024 The armed attack at the port came days after the gangs sabotaged the terminal’s power plant, cutting off its electricity and potentially causing crucial fresh food products to spoil, Coles said. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 The court, based in The Hague, the Netherlands, pointed to strikes by Moscow against electric power plants and substations, which were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations during its war in Ukraine. Rob Picheta, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 This can sometimes make targeting power infrastructure legitimate, says Hathaway, but combatants need to consider how something like a sustained power outage or an explosion at a power plant could impact civilians. Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024 The three concrete smokestacks, which were part of a Pacific Gas and Electric power plant built in the 1950s, have been replaced here by beer bottles. Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 The justices have restricted EPA's authority to fight air and water pollution — including a landmark 2022 ruling that limited EPA's authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming. CBS News, 21 Feb. 2024 This makes mechanical sensors ideal for everyday monitoring of dangerous radiation within a power plant, while phytosensors are better suited to monitor the larger areas of land around a power plant. Neal Stewart, The Conversation, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'power plant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of power plant was in 1871

Dictionary Entries Near power plant

Cite this Entry

“Power plant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20plant. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

power plant

noun
: a building in which electric power is generated

More from Merriam-Webster on power plant

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