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Definition of "rheostat" [rhe•o•stat]

  • A continuously variable electrical resistor used to regulate current. (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.

Use "rheostat" in a sentence
  • "The rheostat, which is in the right part of the figure, has five sliding contacts, each of which can be connected with ten different points."
  • "Fan switching is relatively easy however RPM control is not, for this you needed called a rheostat baybus."
  • "More recently a new "rheostat" model argues that the responsiveness of each NK cell is tuned by the input of inhibitory receptors"