generator

noun

gen·​er·​a·​tor ˈje-nə-ˌrā-tər How to pronounce generator (audio)
1
: one that generates: such as
a
: an apparatus in which vapor or gas is formed
b
: a machine by which mechanical energy is changed into electrical energy
2
: a mathematical entity that when subjected to one or more operations yields another mathematical entity or its elements
specifically : generatrix

Did you know?

Generators work by rotating a coil of wire in a magnetic field, causing a current to flow in the wire. A generator may be a huge spinning turbine powered by water, wind, steam, gas, or nuclear reactions, which sends electricity out through power lines to thousands of customers. But normally when we use the word, we're thinking of a small machine powered by gasoline or diesel, such as you might keep in your basement for those times when a storm knocks out your power, to create electricity right in front of your eyes. A special kind of generator called an alternator powers a car's electrical system (including its lights, power steering, etc.) while the car is running.

Examples of generator in a Sentence

This new product will be a major revenue generator. a backup generator for the store
Recent Examples on the Web Built for families to live together on dead end road Allen said the property has two wells, room for a machine shop, and a separate building that housed a diesel generator. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 Jones’ letter comes amid growing concerns that AI image generators — which are increasingly capable of producing convincing, photorealistic images — can cause harm by spreading offensive or misleading images. Clare Duffy, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Instead of purchasing RECs that renewable energy generators sell as separate products, tech companies can have a bigger impact by agreeing to a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Justine Calma, The Verge, 6 Mar. 2024 The company tried to compensate for the biases that commonly occur in image generators due to the presence of harmful cultural stereotypes in the images used to train them, many of which are generally sourced from the web and show a white, Western bias. Will Knight, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024 The Mechanicals Heavy duty engines and generators paired with two independent rudders for redundancy and maneuverability make the NL45 easy to manage. Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Among the estate’s other creature comforts are an elevator, a comprehensive home automation system, and a whole-house generator. Mark David, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2024 But the state-of-the-art image generators currently sweeping the Internet, such as AI’s Stable Diffusion, instead use diffusion probabilistic models, which learn to convert random noise into an image likely to mimic what a user wanted. IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2024 With tools like the AI video generator, Appy Pie ensures that every user, irrespective of their technical know-how, can achieve professional results. Jon Stojan, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'generator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of generator was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near generator

Cite this Entry

“Generator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/generator. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

generator

noun
gen·​er·​a·​tor ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt-ər How to pronounce generator (audio)
: one that generates: as
a
: a piece of laboratory equipment in which vapor or gas is formed
b
: a machine by which mechanical energy is changed into electrical energy

More from Merriam-Webster on generator

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