commutator
noun
com·mu·ta·tor
ˈkäm-yə-ˌtā-tər 
-yü-
1
: a series of bars or segments connected to the armature coils (see armature sense 2b) of a generator or motor so that rotation of the armature will in conjunction with a set of fixed brushes (see brush entry 2 sense 3) convert alternating current into direct current
Note: In a generator, a commutator results in an output of direct current. In a motor, the commutator converts incoming alternating current into direct current before using it to generate motion.
2
: an element of a mathematical group that when used to multiply the product of two given elements either on the right side or on the left side but not necessarily on both sides yields the product of the two given elements in reverse order
Examples of commutator in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The commutator and wires inside the fuel pump may be fused incorrectly, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
—
USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2022
Instead of brushes and a commutator, a small circuit board coordinates the energy delivery to the windings.
—Doug Mahoney, Popular Mechanics, 14 June 2021
Before Tesla, inventors had always designed electric motors so that the magnetic field of the stator was kept constant and the magnetic field in the rotor was changed by means of a commutator.
—National Geographic, 27 Sep. 2019
While watching how a DC motor sparked during a demonstration in his physics class, Tesla suggested that the commutator (the rotating switch feeding electricity to the rotor in the motor) should be eliminated.
—National Geographic, 27 Sep. 2019
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USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2022
Instead of brushes and a commutator, a small circuit board coordinates the energy delivery to the windings.
—Doug Mahoney, Popular Mechanics, 14 June 2021
Before Tesla, inventors had always designed electric motors so that the magnetic field of the stator was kept constant and the magnetic field in the rotor was changed by means of a commutator.
—National Geographic, 27 Sep. 2019
While watching how a DC motor sparked during a demonstration in his physics class, Tesla suggested that the commutator (the rotating switch feeding electricity to the rotor in the motor) should be eliminated.
—National Geographic, 27 Sep. 2019
Dictionary Entries Near commutator
Cite this Entry
“Commutator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commutator. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
commutator
noun
com·mu·ta·tor
ˈkäm-yə-ˌtāt-ər
: a device for reversing the direction of an electric current so that the alternating currents made in a dynamo are changed to direct current
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