current
belonging to the present time; steady movement of water; flow of electric charge
Not to be confused with:currant – small dried seedless grape
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
cur·rent
(kûr′ənt, kŭr′-)adj.1. a. Belonging to the present time: current events; current leaders.
b. Being in progress now: current negotiations.
2. Passing from one to another; circulating: current bills and coins.
3. Prevalent, especially at the present time:
current fashions. See Synonyms at
prevailing.
4. Running; flowing.
n.1. A steady, smooth onward flow or movement:
a current of air from a fan; a current of spoken words. See Synonyms at
flow.
2. The part of a body of liquid or gas that has a continuous onward movement: rowed out into the river's swift current.
3. A general tendency, movement, or course. See Synonyms at
tendency.
4. Symbol IElectricity a. A flow of electric charge.
b. The amount of electric charge flowing past a specified circuit point per unit time.
[Middle English
curraunt, from Old French
corant, present participle of
courre,
to run, from Latin
currere; see
kers- in
Indo-European roots.]
cur′rent·ly adv.
cur′rent·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
current
(ˈkʌrənt) adj1. of the immediate present; in progress: current events.
2. most recent; up-to-date
3. commonly known, practised, or accepted; widespread: a current rumour.
4. circulating and valid at present: current coins.
n5. (esp of water or air) a steady usually natural flow
6. (Physical Geography) a mass of air, body of water, etc, that has a steady flow in a particular direction
7. (Physical Geography) the rate of flow of such a mass
8. (General Physics)
physics a. a flow of electric charge through a conductor
b. the rate of flow of this charge. It is measured in amperes. Symbol: I
9. a general trend or drift: currents of opinion.
[C13: from Old French corant, literally: running, from corre to run, from Latin currere]
ˈcurrently adv
ˈcurrentness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cur•rent
(ˈkɜr ənt, ˈkʌr-)
adj. 1. belonging to the time actually passing; present: the current month.
2. generally or commonly used or accepted; prevalent: current usage in English.
3. popular; in vogue.
4. most recent; new: the current issue of a magazine.
5. publicly or commonly reported or known: a rumor that is current.
6. in circulation, as a coin.
7. Archaic. running; flowing.
n. 8. a flowing; flow, as of a river.
9. something that flows, as a stream.
10. the most rapidly moving part of a stream.
11. a portion of a large body of water or mass of air moving in a certain direction.
12. the speed at which such flow moves; velocity of flow.
13. the movement or flow of electric charge, the rate of which is measured in amperes.
14. a general tendency or course.
[1250–1300; Middle English curraunt < Anglo-French < Latin current-, s. of currēns, present participle of currere to run]
cur′rent•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
cur·rent
(kûr′ənt)1. A flowing movement in a liquid or gas, especially one that follows a recognizable course: a current of cool air flowing through the room.
2. A flow of electric charge. See Note at
charge.
3. The amount of electric charge that passes a point in a unit of time, usually expressed in amperes.
Did You Know? You listen to your portable CD player thanks to direct current, but you turn on the lights thanks to alternating current. Direct current, or DC, is electricity that flows at a constant voltage directly from a source, such as a battery with a stored electric charge. Batteries are great when you're on the move, but DC has a fundamental problem: electricity is easily lost to resistance and wasted as heat in the wires. Alternating current, or AC, on the other hand, is what flows from your walls. This is because it can be transmitted at very high voltage with little heat loss. Moreover, the voltage can efficiently be brought down to a low, safe level for home use. AC's name reflects the fact that the current alternates its direction of flow. On average, AC flow in the US switches direction 60 times each second and delivers about 115 volts from an ordinary outlet. Other countries set their own AC standards.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
current
A body of water moving in a certain direction and caused by wind and density differences in water. The effects of a current are modified by water depth, underwater topography, basin shape, land masses, and deflection from the earth's rotation.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.
currant
currentThese words are both pronounced /'kʌrənt/.
1. 'currant'Currant is a noun. A currant is a small dried grape.
...dried fruits such as currants, raisins and dried apricots.
2. 'current' used as a nounCurrent can be a noun or an adjective.
A current is a steady and continuous flowing movement of some of the water in a river or lake, or in the sea.
The child had been swept out to sea by the current.
A current is also a steady flowing movement of air, or a flow of electricity through a wire or circuit.
I felt a current of cool air blowing in my face.
There was a powerful electric current running through the wires.
3. 'current' used as an adjectiveCurrent is used to describe things which are happening or being used now, rather than at some time in the past or future.
Our current methods of production are far too expensive.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
current
The flow of electricity through a conductor.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited