distributor
noun
Simple meaning
Electrical device that distributes voltage to the spark plugs of a gasoline engine in the order of the firing sequence.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
dihstribyuhterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
dɪstˈɹɪbjətɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Electrical device that distributes voltage to the spark plugs of a gasoline engine in the order of the firing sequence
A device that distributes electric current, especially to the spark plugs in an internal combustion engine.
One who or that which distributes.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Electrical device that distributes voltage to the spark plugs of a gasoline engine in the order of the firing sequence
Used this way, distributor is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is an engineering use: it is a working term used for accuracy on the job.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Technical/specialist writing
- Science
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use distributor
- “His company is a large distributor of software products.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Serving to distribute or allot or disperse.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
The cam inside the distributor that rotates to contact spark plug terminals in the correct order.
The cap of the distributor that holds in place the wires from the distributor to the spark plugs.
The housing that supports the distributor cam.
A contact in the distributor.
Electrical device that distributes voltage to the spark plugs of a gasoline engine in the order of the firing sequence.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A way of selling a company's product either directly or via distributors.
Any cost incurred by a producer or wholesaler or retailer or distributor (as for advertising and shipping etc).
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.