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e·lec·tric (ĭ-lĕktrĭk)
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adj.
1. also e·lec·tri·cal (-trĭ-kəl) Of, relating to, producing, or operated by electricity: electric current; an electrical device.
2.
a. Of or related to sound created or altered by an electrical or electronic device.
b. Amplified by an electronic device: an electric guitar.
3.
a. Emotionally exciting; thrilling: an electric reading of the play.
b. Exceptionally tense; highly charged with emotion: an atmosphere electric with suspicion.
n.
An electrically powered machine or vehicle: Our mower is an electric.
[New Latin ēlectricus, deriving from amber, as by rubbing, from Latin ēlectrum, amber, from Greek ēlektron.]
e·lectri·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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