Etymology

Wimshurst machine

Today it means: An electrostatic generator with two large contra-rotating discs mounted in a vertical plane, two crossed bars with metallic brushes, and a spark gap formed by two metal spheres. Full definition →

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The story

Developed between 1880 and 1883 by British inventor James Wimshurst (1832–1903).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.