short circuit
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short circuit
Where it comes from
short + circuit
noun short circuits · short-circuit
-
A usually unintentional connection of low resistance or impedance in a circuit such that excessive and often damaging current flows in it.
One issue surrounds residual current devices (RCDs), the safety devices found in fuse boxes that sense when current is leaking to ground – a sign of electrocution or a short circuit – and almost instantaneously cut power. Most RCDs used in the UK aren’t suitable for current flowing in both direction
Similar: short
- A logical disconnect, such as cognitive dissonance or poor analysis. The Jewish Community Relations Council does work on racism and multicultural issues, but they don't address anti-Arab racism in this work. They see that as 'political.' It's like they have a short-circuit inside them.
verb short circuits · short circuiting · short circuited · short-circuit
- To cause a short circuit in. In the motor control room aft, a crewman crashed against the main electrical switchboard, short-circuiting it with his body, and all power aboard was lost.
-
To undergo a short circuit.
Similar: short out
- To force termination of an ongoing process before its natural conclusion, by bypassing one or more intermediary steps. [H]is temporarily successful attempt to smear Redfield is an effort to short-circuit the narrative into premature and mistaken resolution.
- To impede or disrupt. At times, the Knicks’ offense looked short-circuited. Anthony, despite his cold hand, kept shooting. / “They all feel good, to be honest with you,” Anthony said. “It wasn’t long, it wasn’t short, they were bouncing off the rim, they were chippers, the same shot I hit all the time so I can’t stop tak
- To bypass, especially by overhastiness. By insisting that "style" is the only way to exert your undeserving self upon the world these books short-circuit the chance for, and even the need for, the possibility of change in the lives of people or the culture.
- To terminate a loop before the declared termination condition is met, or a conditional before all conditions have been tested for. For example, to short-circuit the "LoggedIn()" or "LogIn()" "if" conditional, replace the "Or" with "OrElse" and the statement is interpreted to mean "if not logged in, then log in".
Translations
Every language
noun unintentional connection
| Español | cortocircuito, corto |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 쇼트 syoteu, 합선 hapseon |
| 日本語 | 短絡 tanraku, ショート shōto |
| 中文 | 短路 duǎnlù, 短接 duǎnjiē |
| Português | curto-circuito |
| Français | court-circuit |
| Deutsch | Kurzschluss |
| Italiano | cortocircuito |
| Ελληνικά | βραχυκύκλωμα vrachykýkloma |
| Română | scurtcircuit, scurtcircuitare |
| Русский | коро́ткое замыка́ние korótkoje zamykánije |
| Tiếng Việt | đoản mạch |
| العربية | مَاسّ كَهْرَبَائِيّ māss kahrabāʔiyy |
| עברית | קָצָר kétser |
verb to cause a short circuit in
| Español | cortocircuitar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 短絡する tanraku suru |
| 中文 | 短接 duǎnjiē |
| Português | curto-circuitar |
| Français | court-circuiter |
| Deutsch | kurzschließen |
| Italiano | mandare in cortocircuito, cortocircuitare |
| Ελληνικά | βραχυκυκλώνω vrachykyklóno |
| Română | scurtcircuita |
| Русский | замкну́ть zamknútʹ |
| العربية | سَبَّبَ مَاسًّا كَهْرَبَائِيًّا فِي sabbaba māssan kahrabāʔiyyan fī |
verb to undergo a short circuit
| Español | cortocircuitarse |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 短路 duǎnlù |
| Italiano | andare in cortocircuito |
| Ελληνικά | βραχυκυκλώνομαι vrachykyklónomai |
| Română | se scurtcircuita |
| العربية | أُصِيبَ بِـمَاسٍّ كَهْرَبَائِيٍّ ʔuṣība bi-māssin kahrabāʔiyyin |
Talk about this word "short circuit." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/short%20circuit. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. short circuit. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/short%20circuit "short circuit." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/short%20circuit.Cite this
@misc{short_circuit_2026,
title = {short circuit},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/short%20circuit},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
