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pow·er

[pou-er]
noun
1.
ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.
2.
political or national strength: the balance of power in Europe.
3.
great or marked ability to do or act; strength; might; force.
4.
the possession of control or command over others; authority; ascendancy: power over men's minds.
5.
political ascendancy or control in the government of a country, state, etc.: They attained power by overthrowing the legal government.
6.
legal ability, capacity, or authority: the power of attorney.
7.
delegated authority; authority granted to a person or persons in a particular office or capacity: the powers of the president.
8.
a document or written statement conferring legal authority.
9.
a person or thing that possesses or exercises authority or influence.
10.
a state or nation having international authority or influence: The great powers held an international conference.
11.
a military or naval force: The Spanish Armada was a mighty power.
12.
Often, powers. a deity; divinity: the heavenly powers.
13.
powers, Theology. an order of angels. Compare angel ( def 1 ).
14.
Dialect. a large number or amount: There's a power of good eatin' at the church social.
15.
Physics.
a.
work done or energy transferred per unit of time. Symbol: P
b.
the time rate of doing work.
16.
mechanical energy as distinguished from hand labor: a loom driven by power.
17.
a particular form of mechanical or physical energy: hydroelectric power.
18.
energy, force, or momentum: The door slammed shut, seemingly under its own power.
19.
Mathematics.
a.
the product obtained by multiplying a quantity by itself one or more times: The third power of 2 is 8.
b.
(of a number x ) a number whose logarithm is a times the logarithm of x (and is called the a th power of x ). Symbolically, y = xa is a number that satisfies the equation log y = a log x.
c.
the exponent of an expression, as a in xa.
d.
cardinal number ( def 2 ).
20.
Optics.
a.
the magnifying capacity of a microscope, telescope, etc., expressed as the ratio of the diameter of the image to the diameter of the object. Compare magnification ( def 2 ).
b.
the reciprocal of the focal length of a lens.
verb (used with object)
21.
to supply with electricity or other means of power: Atomic energy powers the new submarines.
22.
to give power to; make powerful: An outstanding quarterback powered the team in its upset victory.
23.
to inspire; spur; sustain: A strong faith in divine goodness powers his life.
24.
(of a fuel, engine, or any source able to do work) to supply force to operate (a machine): An electric motor powers this drill.
25.
to drive or push by applying power: She powered the car expertly up the winding mountain road.
adjective
26.
operated or driven by a motor or electricity: a power mower; power tools.
27.
power-assisted: His new car has power brakes and power windows.
28.
conducting electricity: a power cable.
29.
Informal. expressing or exerting power; characteristic of those having authority or influence: to host a power lunch.
Verb phrases
30.
power down, Computers. to shut off.
31.
power up, Computers. to turn on.
Idioms
32.
the powers that be, those in supreme command; the authorities: The decision is in the hands of the powers that be.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English pouer(e), poer(e) < Anglo-French poueir, poer, noun use of infinitive: to be able < Vulgar Latin *potēre (replacing Latin posse to be able, have power). See potent1

Related forms
coun·ter·pow·er, noun
de-pow·er, verb (used with object)
re·pow·er, verb

Synonyms
1. capacity. 3. energy. See strength. 4, 5. sway, rule, sovereignty.

Antonyms
1. incapacity. 3. weakness.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Powers is always a great word to know.
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a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
power (ˈpaʊə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  ability or capacity to do something
2.  (often plural) a specific ability, capacity, or faculty
3.  political, financial, social, etc, force or influence
4.  control or dominion or a position of control, dominion, or authority
5.  a state or other political entity with political, industrial, or military strength
6.  a person who exercises control, influence, or authority: he's a power in the state
7.  a prerogative, privilege, or liberty
8.  a.  legal authority to act, esp in a specified capacity, for another
 b.  the document conferring such authority
9.  a.  a military force
 b.  military potential
10.  maths
 a.  the value of a number or quantity raised to some exponent
 b.  another name for exponent
11.  statistics the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis in a test when it is false. The power of a test of a given null depends on the particular alternative hypothesis against which it is tested
12.  physics, engineering P a measure of the rate of doing work expressed as the work done per unit time. It is measured in watts, horsepower, etc
13.  a.  the rate at which electrical energy is fed into or taken from a device or system. It is expressed, in a direct-current circuit, as the product of current and voltage and, in an alternating-current circuit, as the product of the effective values of the current and voltage and the cosine of the phase angle between them. It is measured in watts
 b.  (as modifier): a power amplifier
14.  the ability to perform work
15.  a.  mechanical energy as opposed to manual labour
 b.  (as modifier): a power mower
16.  a particular form of energy: nuclear power
17.  a.  a measure of the ability of a lens or optical system to magnify an object, equal to the reciprocal of the focal length. It is measured in dioptres
 b.  another word for magnification
18.  informal a large amount or quantity: a power of good
19.  (plural) the sixth of the nine orders into which the angels are traditionally divided in medieval angelology
20.  (often foll by an infinitive) in one's power able or allowed (to)
21.  in someone's power under the control or sway of someone
22.  the powers that be the established authority or administration
 
—vb
23.  to give or provide power to
24.  to fit (a machine) with a motor or engine
25.  slang (intr) to travel with great speed or force
 
[C13: from Anglo-Norman poer, from Vulgar Latin potēre (unattested), from Latin posse to be able]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

power
c.1300, from Anglo-Fr. pouair, O.Fr. povoir, noun use of the infinitive in O.Fr., "to be able," earlier podir (842), from V.L. *potere, from L. potis "powerful" (see potent). Meaning "a state or nation with regard to international authority or influence" is from 1726. The
verb meaning "to supply with power" is recorded from 1898. Powerful is c.1400. Powerhouse "building where power is generated" is from 1881; fig. sense attested from 1915. Power-broker (1961) said to have been coined by T.H. White in ref. to the 1960 U.S. presidential election. Phrase the powers that be is from Rom. xiii.1. As a statement wishing good luck, more power to (someone) is recorded from 1842.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

power pow·er (pou'ər)
n.

  1. The capacity to perform or act effectively.

  2. Strength or force that is exerted or that is capable of being exerted.

  3. The amount of work done per unit time.

  4. A measure of the magnification of an optical instrument, such as a microscope or telescope.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
power   (pou'ər)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The source of energy used to operate a machine or other system.

  2. The rate at which work is done, or energy expended, per unit time. Power is usually measured in watts (especially for electrical power) or horsepower (especially for mechanical power). For a path conducting electrical current, such as a component in an electric circuit, P = VI, where P is the power dissipated along the path, V is the voltage across the path, and I is the current through the path. Compare energy, work.

  3. Mathematics The number of times a number or expression is multiplied by itself, as shown by an exponent. Thus ten to the sixth power, or 106, equals one million.

  4. A number that represents the magnification of an optical instrument, such as a microscope or telescope. A 500-power microscope can magnify an image to 500 times its original size.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

power definition


In physics, the amount of energy put out or produced in a given amount of time. Power is often measured in watts or kilowatts.

In mathematics, a power is a number multiplied by itself the number of times signified by an exponent placed to the right and above it. Thus, 32, which means 3 × 3, is a power — the second power of three, or three squared, or nine. The expression 106, or ten to the sixth power, means 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10, or one million.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences from the web
As far as possible he therefore spared no effort to act in agreement with the
  old powers.
For large powers this means very large and expensive power supplies and heat
  sinking.
If anyone else attempts to use the sword, many of its special powers are lost.
It could only be summoned when all six rangers were present and combined their
  powers.
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