inductor
/in-ˈdək-tər/ (ame, mw)
inductor — noun
1. a circuit component, usually made by winding wire into a coil, that stores energ
a circuit component, usually made by winding wire into a coil, that stores energy in a magnetic field whenever electric current flows through it and resists sudden changes in that current.
Stefan replaced a burnt-out inductor on the motherboard with a soldering iron.
collocation: replace / install an inductor
Power-supply circuits often pair a capacitor with an inductor to smooth out voltage spikes.
collocation: pair a capacitor with an inductor
Putri wound copper wire around a ferrite core to make a small inductor.
The engineer measured the inductor's value in millihenries before adding it to the audio filter.
When the switch closed, current through the inductor rose slowly instead of jumping at once.
- capacitor
the complementary passive component — stores energy in an electric field instead of a magnetic one
文法句型
an inductor in a circuit
the inductor stores energy
用法筆記
Subject is typically a circuit, board, or filter; the inductor is named alongside other passive parts (resistor, capacitor). Standard unit is the henry (H), often expressed as millihenries (mH) or microhenries (µH).
常見錯誤
2. a person who formally brings someone into a club, society, or honour at an offic
a person who formally brings someone into a club, society, or honour at an official ceremony, usually by speaking the words that mark the new member's admission.
Coach Romi served as the inductor when three players entered the hall of fame.
pattern: serve as the inductor when [people] enter [honour]
The bishop, acting as inductor, placed a stole around the new priest's shoulders.
collocation: acting as inductor
Talia asked her old mentor to be the inductor at her swearing-in next month.
Each year a senior judge is chosen as inductor for the new bar members.
- inductee
the person being inducted, not the one performing the induction
文法句型
the inductor of [person] into [group]
serve as inductor
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 by context: this sense names a person at a ceremony; sense 1 names an electronic component. The act they perform is called an 'induction'.
常見錯誤
3. in a growing embryo, a small group of cells that releases chemical signals telli
in a growing embryo, a small group of cells that releases chemical signals telling neighbouring cells what kind of tissue or organ they should become — for example, the cells that direct an eye lens to form.
Jisoo's lab studied how a tiny cluster of cells acts as an inductor in eye development.
pattern shown: act as an inductor during [organ] development
Without the inductor, surrounding cells failed to form a neural tube in the chick embryo.
pattern: without the inductor, surrounding cells fail to form [tissue]
Kofi removed the inductor tissue from one side of the frog embryo.
Grafted onto a different region, the inductor caused a second spine to form.
- organizer
older Spemann-era term for the same kind of signalling region; still widely used
- signalling centre
modern textbook synonym; emphasises the molecular signalling role
文法句型
the inductor signals nearby cells
act as an inductor
用法筆記
Often used together with the word 'organizer' (Spemann's organizer is the classic example). Subject is usually a small named region of an embryo; objects of its signalling are nearby cells, not distant ones.