gen·er·a·tor

[jen-uh-rey-ter]
noun
1.
a machine that converts one form of energy into another, especially mechanical energy into electrical energy, as a dynamo, or electrical energy into sound, as an acoustic generator.
2.
a person or thing that generates.
3.
Chemistry. an apparatus for producing a gas or vapor.
4.
Mathematics.
a.
an element or one of a set of elements from which a specified mathematical object can be formed by applying certain operations.
b.
an element, as a line, that generates a figure.
5.
Computers. a program that produces a particular type of output on demand, as random numbers, an application program, or a report.
Origin:
1640–50; < Latin generātor producer, equivalent to generā(re) (see generate) + -tor -tor

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Generator is always a great word to know.
So is melamine. Does it mean:
a white, crystalline, slightly water-soluble solid, C3N3(NH2)3, used chiefly in organic synthesis and in the manufacture of resins
the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; a gram molecule
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Collins
World English Dictionary
generator (ˈdʒɛnəˌreɪtə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  physics
 a.  any device for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy by electromagnetic induction, esp a large one as in a power station
 b.  a device for producing a voltage electrostatically
 c.  any device that converts one form of energy into another form: an acoustic generator
2.  an apparatus for producing a gas
3.  a person or thing that generates

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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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

generator gen·er·a·tor (jěn'ə-rā'tər)
n.
One that generates, especially a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.

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
generator   (jěn'ə-rā'tər)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A machine that converts mechanical energy into electricity to serve as a power source for other machines. Electrical generators found in power plants use water turbines, combustion engines, windmills, or other sources of mechanical energy to spin wire coils in strong magnetic fields, inducing an electric potential in the coils. A generator that provides alternating current power is called an alternator. See also induction.

  2. See generatrix.


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

generator definition


A device that produces electric current, usually by rotating a conductor in a magnetic field, thereby generating current through electromagnetic induction. This sort of generator produces an alternating current (AC).

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
Beyond that range, its combustion engine will kick in, powering a generator for
  its onboard battery.
The engine and generator and all included components are to be checked.
When the battery dies, a gasoline engine drives a generator that keeps the
  juice flowing.
The small combustion engine uses an electric generator and a super-powered
  electric motor to drive the propeller.
Image for generator
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