Generator
/ˈdʒɛnəˌreɪtər/
Definitions
2 meaningsA machine for producing electricity.
/ˈdʒɛnəˌreɪtər/
A machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.
The backup generator kept the hospital running during the hurricane.
💡 Simply: Imagine a machine that can make electricity, like the one that keeps your lights on when the power goes out. That's a generator!
👶 For kids: A machine that makes electricity.
More Examples
The technician is checking the generator's fuel level.
A wind turbine is a type of generator that uses wind to produce electricity.
How It's Used
"The power outage was resolved when the emergency generator kicked in."
"A generator is a crucial component of a power plant."
A person or thing that brings something into existence; a creator or producer.
/ˈdʒɛnəˌreɪtər/
A person or thing that produces something.
The city is a generator of economic growth for the entire region.
💡 Simply: A 'generator' is like a creative person or thing that makes something happen, like a machine that creates electricity or a person who comes up with amazing ideas!
👶 For kids: Someone or something that makes something else happen.
More Examples
The author is a generator of thrilling stories.
The software is a random number generator.
How It's Used
"Shakespeare was a prolific generator of memorable characters."
"The company is a generator of new ideas and innovation."
From Latin *generator* ("one who begets, produces"), from *generare* ("to beget, produce"), from *genus* ("race, kind, origin").
The term 'generator' has been used since the early 18th century to describe a machine for producing something, though its specific application to electrical machines became common in the 19th century with the advent of electric power.
Memory tip
Think of a *generator* as something that *generates* power from some other form of energy.
Word Origin
"to beget, produce, create"