watt

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noun \ˈwät\

Definition of watt

: the absolute meter-kilogram-second unit of power equal to the work done at the rate of one joule per second or to the power produced by a current of one ampere across a potential difference of one volt : ¹⁄₇₄₆ horsepower

See watt defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of watt from the Web

That resulted in 18.5 megawatts of production, or 198 solar watts per customer.

— kevin spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando's new solar plant takes shape as Florida's solar energy erupts", 5 July 2017
Its motor produces 2000 watts of power, which is transferred to each rear wheel by a belt drive system.

— timothy dahl, Popular Mechanics, "The Boosted Electric Skateboard Is Better Than Just Fun—It's Useful", 23 June 2017
The testing will cover a 30- and 10-meter sprint, medicine ball toss, vertical jump and a watt bike test.

— anthony sorci, sacbee, "Think you’re an Olympic athlete? Test your mettle in Folsom, online", 23 June 2017
After falling for years, panel prices have climbed to between 41 and 43 cents per watt, from 35 to 39 cents a month ago, Meikle said.

— joe ryan, Bloomberg.com, "Panel Makers Surge After Trump Proposes Solar on Border Wall", 22 June 2017
For instance, the critique asserts that Jacobson assumed that hydroelectric dams would have the capacity to generate over 1,000 gigawatts, or billion watts, of electricity, vastly more than exists today.

— chris mooney, chicagotribune.com, "Bitter scientific debate erupts over the future of America's power grid", 20 June 2017
The 4-million watt solar array will be constructed with 3,000 solar panels, made by First Solar of Perrysburg, Ohio, near Toledo.

— john funk, cleveland.com, "Wind turbine rule change gets nod from Ohio Senate, Cuyahoga request for 20-year renewable power purchase agreement rejected", 20 June 2017
The speaker features two 5 watt speaker drivers designed to give you good sound indoors or out.

— ian paul, PCWorld, "Aukey's SoundTank Bluetooth speaker is just $33 today", 16 June 2017
There, concerned residents will have a chance to discuss the plan, which calls for the construction of a 26 mega-watt solar farm on 280 acres of property along County and Hoskins roads.

— amanda morris, Courant Community, "Hearing On Proposed Solar Farm To Be Held Wednesday", 6 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of watt

James Watt †1819

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First Known Use: 1882

See Words from the same year

Watt

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biographical name \ˈwät\

Definition of Watt

James 1736–1819 Scottish inventor

WATT Defined for English Language Learners

watt

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noun

Definition of watt for English Language Learners

: a unit for measuring electrical power

WATT Defined for Kids

watt

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noun \ˈwät\

Definition of watt for Students

: a unit for measuring electric power

Medical Dictionary

watt

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noun \ˈwät\

Medical Definition of watt

: the absolute mks unit of power equal to the work done at the rate of one joule per second or to the power produced by a current of one ampere across a potential difference of one volt : ¹⁄₇₄₆ horsepower

Biographical Note for watt

Watt

James

(1736–1819), British engineer and inventor. Watt's steam engine played a major role in the coming of the Industrial Revolution and came to be used in paper mills, flour mills, cotton mills, iron mills, distilleries, canals, and waterworks. At the end of the 19th century the International Electrical Congress named the watt, the unit of electrical power, in his honor.