resistor

Meanings

1. 1nouncountabletechnical

   A small electrical part that limits how much current can flow through a circuit.

   Grammar: Countable: one resistor, two resistors; often used before another noun, as in 'resistor value'.

   Patterns

   • a resistor of 100 ohms
   • a resistor in a circuit
   • replace a resistor

   The technician soldered a new resistor onto the board.

   A 220-ohm resistor protects the LED from too much current.

   If the resistor fails, the whole circuit may stop working.

2. 2nouncountableformal

   A person or thing that resists something, especially in a formal or literary description.

   Grammar: Countable and rather formal; usually followed by 'of' to name what is resisted.

   Patterns

   • a resistor of something

   She was a stubborn resistor of every change the committee proposed.

   In the novel, he is portrayed as a lonely resistor of unjust authority.

Word forms

Common combinations

variable resistor

Turn the variable resistor to dim the lamp.

resistor value

Check the resistor value before you install it.

a resistor in series

Put a resistor in series with the motor.

resistor color code

The resistor color code tells you its resistance.

burn out a resistor

Too much power can burn out a resistor.

Synonyms and how they differ

resistance

This is the property or amount of opposition to current, not the physical part itself.

component

A general word for any part in a circuit; 'resistor' names one specific kind.

Word family

resist verb

to oppose or stop something from happening

resistance noun

the ability to oppose something, or the electrical property measured in ohms

resistive adjective

describing a material or device that resists electrical current

Commonly confused: resistor or transistor? resistor or resister?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “resistor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words