alternating current
noun
: an electric current that reverses its direction at regularly recurring intervals —abbreviation AC
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Whereas other machines generate AC (alternating current) power to begin with, inverter generators convert the AC power to DC (direct current), then back to AC. 
Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 1 Sep. 2022 But not all EVs use the same plug, and then there's the matter of alternating current (AC) versus direct current (DC) systems. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 28 July 2022 Battery storage units store energy from the sun as alternating current power for later use. Corrinne Hess, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2022 Bowen and Blankson-Wood get the alternating current of the brothers’ connection just right. New York Times, 25 Jan. 2022 To avoid large losses of power over long distances, the electricity must be converted from alternating current to direct current, and then back again at the other end. New York Times, 4 Jan. 2022 In 1894, New York World reporter Arthur Brisbane described how electrical inventor Nikola Tesla occasionally absorbed 250,000-volt shocks to demonstrate the safety of alternating current. Eric S. Hintz, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Dec. 2021 Its tech relies on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which uses an alternating current scanned over many frequencies to measure the health of the materials inside a battery cell. Aarian Marshall, Wired, 2 Nov. 2021 Tesla was one of the most prolific and imaginative inventors of the 20th century; his resumé includes the alternating current, induction motor, and many other concepts that remained theoretical for decades after his death. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 29 Oct. 2021 See More
Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 1 Sep. 2022 But not all EVs use the same plug, and then there's the matter of alternating current (AC) versus direct current (DC) systems. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 28 July 2022 Battery storage units store energy from the sun as alternating current power for later use. Corrinne Hess, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2022 Bowen and Blankson-Wood get the alternating current of the brothers’ connection just right. New York Times, 25 Jan. 2022 To avoid large losses of power over long distances, the electricity must be converted from alternating current to direct current, and then back again at the other end. New York Times, 4 Jan. 2022 In 1894, New York World reporter Arthur Brisbane described how electrical inventor Nikola Tesla occasionally absorbed 250,000-volt shocks to demonstrate the safety of alternating current. Eric S. Hintz, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Dec. 2021 Its tech relies on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which uses an alternating current scanned over many frequencies to measure the health of the materials inside a battery cell. Aarian Marshall, Wired, 2 Nov. 2021 Tesla was one of the most prolific and imaginative inventors of the 20th century; his resumé includes the alternating current, induction motor, and many other concepts that remained theoretical for decades after his death. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 29 Oct. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1833, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
alternating current
noun
: an electric current that reverses its direction of flow regularly many times per second