Definition of "rectifier" [rec•ti•fi•er]

• One that rectifies: a rectifier of many wrongs. (noun)
• Electronics A device, such as a diode, that converts alternating current to direct current. (noun)
• A worker who blends or dilutes whiskey or other alcoholic beverages. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "I electrolyzed molten NaOH using a step-down transformer and rectifier from a model train set, the nickel crucible as cathode, and a carbon rod salvaged from a dead flashlight battery as anode."
• "Thus the current in the rectifier is controlled through the injection of holes."
• "Direct current may be obtained from an alternating current supply by use of a current-switching arrangement called a rectifier, which contains electronic elements"