electric fluid

Fluid \Flu"id\, n.
   A fluid substance; a body whose particles move easily among
   themselves.
   [1913 Webster]

   Note: Fluid is a generic term, including liquids and gases as
         species. Water, air, and steam are fluids. By analogy,
         the term was sometimes applied to electricity and
         magnetism, as in phrases electric fluid, magnetic
         fluid, though not strictly appropriate; such usage has
         disappeared.
         [1913 Webster +PJC]

   {Fluid dram}, or {Fluid drachm}, a measure of capacity equal
      to one eighth of a fluid ounce.

   {Fluid ounce}.
   (a) In the United States, a measure of capacity, in
       apothecaries' or wine measure, equal to one sixteenth of
       a pint or 29.57 cubic centimeters. This, for water, is
       about 1.04158 ounces avoirdupois, or 455.6 grains.
   (b) In England, a measure of capacity equal to the twentieth
       part of an imperial pint. For water, this is the weight
       of the avoirdupois ounce, or 437.5 grains.

   {Fluids of the body}. (Physiol.) The circulating blood and
      lymph, the chyle, the gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal
      juices, the saliva, bile, urine, aqueous humor, and muscle
      serum are the more important fluids of the body. The
      tissues themselves contain a large amount of combined
      water, so much, that an entire human body dried in vacuo
      with a very moderate degree of heat gives about 66 per
      cent of water.

   {Burning fluid}, {Elastic fluid}, {Electric fluid}, {Magnetic
   fluid}, etc. See under {Burning}, {Elastic}, etc.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Electric \E*lec"tric\ ([-e]*l[e^]k"tr[i^]k), Electrical
\E*lec"tric*al\ ([-e]*l[e^]k"tr[i^]*kal), a. [L. electrum amber,
   a mixed metal, Gr. 'h`lektron; akin to 'hle`ktwr the beaming
   sun, cf. Skr. arc to beam, shine: cf. F. ['e]lectrique. The
   name came from the production of electricity by the friction
   of amber.]
   1. Pertaining to electricity; consisting of, containing,
      derived from, or produced by, electricity; as, electric
      power or virtue; an electric jar; electric effects; an
      electric spark; an electric charge; an electric current;
      an electrical engineer.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Capable of occasioning the phenomena of electricity; as,
      an electric or electrical machine or substance; an
      electric generator.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Electrifying; thrilling; magnetic. "Electric Pindar."
      --Mrs. Browning.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. powered by electricity; as, electrical appliances; an
      electric toothbrush; an electric automobile.
      [WordNet 1.5]

   {Electric atmosphere}, or {Electric aura}. See under {Aura}.
      

   {Electrical battery}. See {Battery}.

   {Electrical brush}. See under {Brush}.

   {Electric cable}. See {Telegraph cable}, under {Telegraph}.
      

   {Electric candle}. See under {Candle}.

   {Electric cat} (Zo["o]l.), one of three or more large species
      of African catfish of the genus {Malapterurus} (esp. {M.
      electricus} of the Nile). They have a large electrical
      organ and are able to give powerful shocks; -- called also
      {sheathfish}.

   {Electric clock}. See under {Clock}, and see
      {Electro-chronograph}.

   {Electric current}, a current or stream of electricity
      traversing a closed circuit formed of conducting
      substances, or passing by means of conductors from one
      body to another which is in a different electrical state.
      

   {Electric eel}, or {Electrical eel} (Zo["o]l.), a South
      American eel-like fresh-water fish of the genus {Gymnotus}
      ({G. electricus}), from two to five feet in length,
      capable of giving a violent electric shock. See
      {Gymnotus}.

   {Electrical fish} (Zo["o]l.), any fish which has an
      electrical organ by means of which it can give an
      electrical shock. The best known kinds are the {torpedo},
      the {gymnotus}, or {electrical eel}, and the {electric
      cat}. See {Torpedo}, and {Gymnotus}.

   {Electric fluid}, the supposed matter of electricity;
      lightning. [archaic]

   {Electrical image} (Elec.), a collection of electrical points
      regarded as forming, by an analogy with optical phenomena,
      an image of certain other electrical points, and used in
      the solution of electrical problems. --Sir W. Thomson.

   {Electric machine}, or {Electrical machine}, an apparatus for
      generating, collecting, or exciting, electricity, as by
      friction.

   {Electric motor}. See {Electro-motor}, 2.

   {Electric osmose}. (Physics) See under {Osmose}.

   {Electric pen}, a hand pen for making perforated stencils for
      multiplying writings. It has a puncturing needle driven at
      great speed by a very small magneto-electric engine on the
      penhandle.

   {Electric railway}, a railway in which the machinery for
      moving the cars is driven by an electric current.

   {Electric ray} (Zo["o]l.), the torpedo.

   {Electric telegraph}. See {Telegraph}.
      [1913 Webster]