The Standard Electrical Dictionary / A Popular Dictionary of Words and Terms Used in the Practice of Electrical Engineering

STANDARD ELECTRICAL DICTIONARY.
WORKS OF T. O'CONOR SLOANE, A.M., E.M., Ph.D. ARITHMETIC OF ELECTRICITY A MANUAL OF ELECTRICAL CALCULATIONS BY ARITHMETICAL METHODS. Third Edition. Illustrated. $1.00. It is very useful to that class of readers to whom Algebra is a comparatively unknown quantity, and will meet its wants admirably.--Electrical World. ELECTRICITY SIMPLIFIED. A POPULAR TREATMENT OF THE SUBJECT. Illustrated. $1. 00. We especially recommend it to those who would like to acquire a popular idea of the subject.--Electric Age. ELECTRIC TOY MAKING. FOR AMATEURS. INCLUDING BATTERIES, MAGNETS, MOTORS, MISCELLANEOUS TOYS, AND DYNAMO CONSTRUCTION. Fully Illustrated. $1.00. THE STANDARD ELECTRICAL DICTIONARY. A POPULAR DICTIONARY OF WORDS AND TERMS USED IN THE PRACTICE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING. BY T. O'CONOR SLOANE, A.M., E.M., Ph.D. NEW YORK GEORGE D. HURST PUBLISHER Copyright 1892 by NORMAN W. HENLEY & CO. PREFACE The purpose of this work is to present the public with a concise and practical book of reference, which it is believed will be appreciated in this age of electricity. The science has expanded so much that the limits of what may be termed strictly a dictionary of the present day would a few years ago have sufficed for an encyclopedia. It follows that an encyclopedia of electricity would be a work of great size. Yet a dictionary with adequate definitions, and kept within the closest limits by the statement of synonyms, and by the consigning of all the innumerable cross-references to a concise index will be far more than a mere dictionary in the ordinary sense of the term. Duplication of matter is to be avoided. This makes many definitions appear short. Yet, by the assistance of the reader's own general knowledge, and by referring to the very complete index, almost any subject can be found treated in all its aspects. There are exceptions to this statement. So much has been done in the way of mechanical detail, so many inventions in telegraphy and other branches have sprung into prominence only to disappear again, or to be modified out of recognition, that to embody descriptions of many ingenious and complicated apparatus has been absolutely impossible for want of space. A word as to the use of the book and the system of its construction may be given here. Each title or subject is defined once in the text. Where a title is synonymous with one or more others the definition is only given under one title, and the others appear at the foot of the article as synonyms. It may be that the reader is seeking the definition of one of these synonyms. If so a reference to the index shows him at once what page contains the information sought for. The use of an index in a work, necessarily of an encyclopedic form, will be appreciated by all users of this book. vi PREFACE. Where a title embraces several words, all orders of the words will be cited in the index. To make the operation of finding references easy this rule has been carried out very fully. It is customary to regard electricity as a growing science. It is unquestionably such, but the multiplication of terms and words is now not nearly so rapid as it has been, and the time for the compiling of a work of this character seems most propitious. It is hoped that the public will indulgently appreciate the labor it has entailed on all concerned in its production. SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS.