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The word electric is derived from the Greek word for amber, elektron. It is only in modern times that practical use has been made of electricity, but some electrical phenomena have been known since antiquity. Certain philosophers of ancient Greece found that by rubbing amber with a piece of cloth, they could enable the amber to pick up light objects, such as feathers. In the 17th century, students of natural science began to discover that other natural phenomena were related to the effect of friction on amber.
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Examples of electric in a Sentence
The Editors, National Review, 26 Apr. 2024
Rolls-Royce Even zealots of the electric vehicle will tell you that public charging can be a fraught affair.
—Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2024
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“Electric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electric. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
electric
1 of 2 adjective
electric
2 of 2 nounAdjective
from scientific Latin electricus "produced from amber by friction," derived from earlier Latin electrum "amber," derived from Greek ēlektron (same meaning); so called because static electricity was first discovered by the friction produced by rubbing a piece of amber
Medical Definition
electric
adjective
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