inverter
inverter — noun
1. a piece of electronic equipment that turns direct current (DC) into alternating
a piece of electronic equipment that turns direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC), allowing battery-powered devices to work with standard household or mains electricity.
Noor installed an inverter in her van to power her laptop during long road trips.
install + inverter + in [vehicle] to power [device]
During the power outage, the small inverter kept the family's refrigerator running for hours.
keeps [appliance] running during power outage
Camille checked the inverter's wattage rating before buying one for her home solar system.
Valentina used an inverter in her food truck to power the blender for smoothies.
Esteban connected a small inverter to his truck's battery to charge his tools on site.
- power inverter
more specific term that emphasises the power-handling capability; often used interchangeably in product names
- DC-AC converter
strict technical synonym used in engineering contexts; describes the conversion type explicitly
- converter
broader term covering any energy conversion device; not specific to DC-to-AC, so use with caution
- rectifier
a device that converts AC to DC, performing the opposite electrical conversion
用法筆記
Commonly associated with solar power systems, car electronics, and backup power setups. The word 'inverter' is also used as a direct English loanword in Taiwanese Mandarin.