TOP

Definition of current noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

current

noun
 
/ˈkʌrənt/
 
/ˈkɜːrənt/
jump to other results
  1. the movement of water in the sea or a river; the movement of air in a particular direction
    • with the current It's easier to go with the current.
    • against the current He swam to the shore against a strong current.
    • Seed pods float and are borne naturally for long distances on ocean currents.
    • Birds use warm air currents to help their flight.
    • current of something currents of air
    see also cross-current, rip current
    Extra Examples
    • Birds of prey use warm air currents to lift them high in the sky.
    • He was swimming against the current.
    • She was swept away by the treacherous currents.
    • The boat was carried along in the current.
    • The prevailing current flows from east to west.
    • Changes in ocean currents can have drastic effects on marine life.
    Topics Transport by waterb2, Geographyb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • warm
    • air
    • wind
    phrases
    • a current of air
    See full entry
  2. the flow of electricity through a wire, etc.
    • wires carrying electric currents
    • Check all your wiring before switching on the current.
    see also AC, alternating current, DC, direct current
    Extra Examples
    • Measure the current flowing in the wire.
    • He leaped as though a powerful electric current had passed through him.
    Topics Engineeringb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • high
    • strong
    • low
    verb + current
    • generate
    • induce
    • produce
    current + verb
    • flow
    • pass through something
    See full entry
  3. (Indian English, informal) the supply of electricity
    • The current failure lasted three hours.
    • Electric wires are out of current for as long as 18 hours a day.
  4. the fact of particular ideas, opinions or feelings being present in a group of people
    • Ministers are worried by this current of anti-government feeling.
    Topics Opinion and argumentc2
  5. Word OriginMiddle English (in the adjective sense ‘running, flowing’): from Old French corant ‘running’, from courre ‘run’, from Latin currere ‘run’.
See current in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee current in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
pepper
noun
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 3000
A1
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day