a course, as of time or events; the main course; the general tendency.
[Origin: 1250–1300; < L current- (s. of curréns) running (prp. of currere); r. ME curraunt < AF < L as above; see -ent]
—Related forms
cur·rent·ly, adverb
—Synonyms 2. common, widespread, popular, rife. Current,present,prevailing,prevalent refer to something generally or commonly in use. That which is current is in general circulation or a matter of common knowledge or acceptance: current usage in English. Present refers to that which is in use now; it always has the sense of time: present customs. That which is prevailing is that which has superseded others: prevailing fashion. That which is prevalent exists or is spread widely: a prevalent idea. 3. stylish, fashionable, modish. 10.See stream.
c.1300, from O.Fr. corant "running," prp. of corre "to run," from L. currere "to run," from PIE *kers- "to run" (cf. Gk. -khouros "running," Lith. karsiu "go quickly," O.N. horskr "swift," O.Ir., M.Welsh carr "cart, wagon," Bret. karr "chariot," Welsh carrog "torrent"). The noun is c.1380, from M.Fr. corant, from O.Fr. corant. Applied 1747 to the flow of electrical force. Currently "at the present time" is 1580.
occurring in or belonging to the present time; "current events"; "the current topic"; "current negotiations"; "current psychoanalytic theories"; "the ship's current position" [ant: noncurrent]
noun
1.
a flow of electricity through a conductor; "the current was measured in amperes"
2.
a steady flow of a fluid (usually from natural causes); "the raft floated downstream on the current"; "he felt a stream of air"; "the hose ejected a stream of water"
3.
dominant course (suggestive of running water) of successive events or ideas; "two streams of development run through American history"; "stream of consciousness"; "the flow of thought"; "the current of history" [syn: stream]
A flowing movement in a liquid, gas, plasma, or other form of matter, especially one that follows a recognizable course.
A flow of positive electric charge. The strength of current flow in any medium is related to voltage differences in that medium, as well as the electrical properties of the medium, and is measured in amperes. Since electrons are stipulated to have a negative charge, current in an electrical circuit actually flows in the opposite direction of the movement of electrons. See also electromagnetism, Ohm's law. See Note at electric charge.
Our Living Language: Electric current is the phenomenon most often experienced in the form of electricity. Any time an object with a net electric charge is in motion, such as an electron in a wire or a positively charged ion jetting into the atmosphere from a solar flare, there is an electric current; the total current moving through some cross-sectional area in a given direction is simply the amount of positive charge moving through that cross-section. Current is sometimes confused with electric potential or voltage, but a voltage difference between two points (such as the two terminals of a battery) means only that current can potentially flow between them; how much does in fact flow depends on the resistance of the material between the two points. Electrical signals transmitted through a wire generally propagate at nearly the speed of light, but the current in the wire actually moves very slowly: pushing electrons into one end of the wire is rather like pushing a marble into one end of a tube filled with marbles—a marble (or electron) gets pushed out the other end almost instantly, even though the marbles (or electrons) inside move only incrementally.
Main Entry: cur·rent Pronunciation: 'k&r-&nt, 'k&-r&nt Function: noun 1: the part of a fluid body (as air or water) moving
continuously in a certain direction 2: a flow of electric charge; also: the rate of such flow
currentelectronics The quantity of charge per unit time, measured in Amperes (Amps, A). By historical convention, the sign of current is positive for currents flowing from positive to negative potential, but experience indicates that electrons are negatively charged and flow in the opposite direction. (1995-10-05)
Con*cur"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Concurred; p. pr. & vb. n. Concurring.] [L. concurrere to run together, agree; con- + currere to run. See Current.]1. To run together; to meet. [Obs.] Anon they fierce encountering both concurred With grisly looks and faces like their fates. --J. Hughes. 2. To meet in the same point; to combine or conjoin; to contribute or help toward a common object or effect. When outward causes concur. --Jer. Colier. 3. To unite or agree (in action or opinion); to join; to act jointly; to agree; to coincide; to correspond. Mr. Burke concurred with Lord Chatham in opinion. --Fox. Tories and Whigs had concurred in paying honor to Walker. --Makaulay. This concurs directly with the letter. --Shak. 4. To assent; to consent. [Obs.] --Milton. Syn: To agree; unite; combine; conspire; coincide; approve; acquiesce; assent.
Cou*rant"\ (k??-r?nt"), a. [F., p. pr. of courir to run, L. currere. Cf. Current.] (Her.) Represented as running; -- said of a beast borne in a coat of arms.
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