amperage

English

Etymology

From ampere +‎ -age.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: am‧pe‧rage

Noun

amperage (countable and uncountable, plural amperages)

1. (physics) The electric current; charge transmitted per unit time, measured in amperes.
   • 1889 March 23, Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 12, page 421:

     It seems to me that ampèrage cuts just as much of a figure as voltage. In the case of static electricity we find that between the conductors of a machine, where we can get a spark of 6 or 7 inches, we will have an electro-motive force of not less than 3,000 volts, and yet there is not one of us in this room but can take that through his body without injury, because there is no ampèrage to speak of.

   • 1964 November, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Modern Railways, page 338:

     A "Deltic" has to be handled very carefully on starting to prevent the automatic cut-out from coming into operation. The maximum permissible amperage is 2,400 and that for no more than 60sec in any one hour; 1,800 to 2,000 amps may be used if necessary for up to 5min and 1,650 to 1,800 amps for up to 30min continuously.

   • 1993, The Small Wood Shop, page 46:

     Draw in the location of the circuit breaker box, your workbench, doorways and windows, and label each machine with its amperage and voltage.

   • 2015, James A. Langbridge, Arduino Sketches: Tools and Techniques for Programming Wizardry:

     Amperage describes the amount of current in a circuit, which is the rate at which electric charge flows past a point in a circuit.

Derived terms

• microamperage
• milliamperage
• picoamperage

 

Translations

electric current — see current