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Tesla coil
noun
variants
or Tesla transformer
: an air-core transformer for high-frequency alternating or oscillating electrical currents
Examples of Tesla coil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the top there’s Griffith Observatory, where a Tesla coil spits electricity and telescope demonstrator Todd Kunioka guides visitors through the cosmos.
—Helen Li, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2024
Later, partygoers will take turns standing inside a Faraday cage as a Tesla coil sparks before them like crazy.
—Cathy Alter, WIRED, 27 Aug. 2023
Tesla was a renowned Serbian-American inventor who created the Tesla coil, engineered the first hydroelectric plant, pioneered the use of the alternating current, and laid the foundation for our modern power grid, among countless other inventions and scientific contributions.
—Jessica Coulon, Popular Mechanics, 14 June 2023
Pulses arc at random from Tesla coils submerged in a pool of mineral oil, zapping at the bulbs from below.
—Travis Diehl, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2023
Fascinated by inventor Nikola Tesla and his innovation of alternating current electricity, Asher Suderow decided to build a Tesla coil himself, and persuaded his dad and grandfather to help.
—Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 21 Sep. 2022
His Tesla coil still shapes modern innovation.
—Tim Grierson, Popular Mechanics, 11 Aug. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Tesla coil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
after Nikola Tesla †1943 American (Croatian-born) electrician and inventor
First Known Use
1896, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Tesla coil
Cite this Entry
“Tesla coil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tesla%20coil. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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