noun
battery
BAT-er-ee/ˈbætəri/
A group of units arranged to operate together.
The battery's cells work together to light the small bulb.
Etymology
Baterie meant beating or assault; the meaning developed through bombardment to a unit of artillery. The electrical sense perhaps draws on that artillery meaning through the idea of electrical “discharges.”
In context
A capacitor stores electric charge. It's a little bit like a battery
More examples
- A battery of tests checks the machine's performance.
- The fort contains a battery of artillery pieces.
- Several batteries supply backup power during outages.
Forms
battery · batteries
Similar words
- array
- An organized group without necessarily acting as a power source.
- power cell
- Specifically an electrical unit rather than a general group.