| English Dictionary |
CURRENT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does current mean?
• CURRENT (noun)
The noun CURRENT has 3 senses:
1. a flow of electricity through a conductor
2. a steady flow of a fluid (usually from natural causes)
3. dominant course (suggestive of running water) of successive events or ideas
Familiarity information: CURRENT used as a noun is uncommon.
• CURRENT (adjective)
The adjective CURRENT has 1 sense:
1. occurring in or belonging to the present time
Familiarity information: CURRENT used as an adjective is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
A flow of electricity through a conductor
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Synonyms:
current; electric current
Context example:
the current was measured in amperes
Hypernyms ("current" is a kind of...):
electrical phenomenon (a physical phenomenon involving electricity)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "current"):
juice (electric current)
thermionic current (an electric current produced between two electrodes as a result of electrons emitted by thermionic emission)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A steady flow of a fluid (usually from natural causes)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural events
Synonyms:
current; stream
Context example:
the hose ejected a stream of water
Hypernyms ("current" is a kind of...):
flow; flowing (the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases))
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "current"):
tidal current; tidal flow (the water current caused by the tides)
rip current; riptide (a strong surface current flowing outwards from a shore)
undercurrent; undertide (a current below the surface of a fluid)
torrent; violent stream (a violently fast stream of water (or other liquid))
eddy; twist (a miniature whirlpool or whirlwind resulting when the current of a fluid doubles back on itself)
maelstrom; vortex; whirlpool (a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides))
ocean current (the steady flow of surface ocean water in a prevailing direction)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Dominant course (suggestive of running water) of successive events or ideas
Classified under:
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects
Synonyms:
Context example:
the current of history
Hypernyms ("current" is a kind of...):
course; line (a connected series of events or actions or developments)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Occurring in or belonging to the present time
Context example:
the ship's current position
Similar:
latest; up-to-the-minute (up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date)
up-to-date; up to date (reflecting the latest information or changes)
afoot; underway (currently in progress)
topical (of interest at the present time)
on-line; online (being in progress now)
on-going; ongoing (currently happening)
occurrent (presently occurring (either causally or incidentally))
live (in current use or ready for use)
live (of current relevance)
incumbent (currently holding an office)
contemporary; present-day (belonging to the present time)
circulating (passing from one to another)
actual (being or existing at the present moment)
Also:
modern (belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages)
new (not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered)
Attribute:
currency; currentness; up-to-dateness (the property of belonging to the present time)
Antonym:
noncurrent (not current or belonging to the present time)
Derivation:
currency; currentness (the property of belonging to the present time)
Context examples
Mechanism to fund current awardees whose research is going better than expected or who are poised to test new ideas.
(Administrative Supplement, NCI Thesaurus)
The cumulative amount recovered from the specimen type, from dosing to end of the current collection interval divided by the body mass index.
(Amount Recovered Normalized by Body Mass Index, NCI Thesaurus)
An electrocardiographic finding showing a current of injury with ST elevation.
(Acute Myocardial Infarction by ECG Finding, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)
Use of a low intensity electrical current to provide mild stimulation of the body's acupuncture points in order to control symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
(Acustimulation Therapy, NCI Thesaurus)
A question asking an individual to state the current time, to within 1 hour.
(About What Time is it, NCI Thesaurus)
The value of the current measurement minus the lowest value previously recorded.
(Absolute Change From Nadir, NCI Thesaurus)
The cumulative amount recovered from the specimen type, from dosing to end of the current collection interval divided by the dose.
(Amount Recovered Normalized by Dose, NCI Thesaurus)
The cumulative amount recovered from the specimen type, from dosing to end of the current collection interval divided by the surface area.
(Amount Recovered Normalized by Surface Area, NCI Thesaurus)
These include the procedure you are having and your current health.
(Anesthesia, NIH)
Previous or current symptoms described as chest pain or pressure, jaw pain, arm pain, or other equivalent discomfort suggestive of cardiac ischemia.
(Angina, NCI Thesaurus)
| Learn English with... Proverbs |
"Drop by drop - a whole lake becomes." (Bulgarian proverb)
"He laughs most he who laughs last." (Arabic proverb)
"Don't postpone until tomorrow, what you can do today." (Dutch proverb)