Etymology

capacitor

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Today it means: An electronic component capable of storing electrical energy in an electric field; especially one consisting of two conductors separated by a dielectric. Full definition →

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The story

From capacity + -or. Capacitor replaced the term condenser (coined by Alessandro Volta in 1782) to disambiguate it from steam condenser. The coiner is unknown but the change was recommended in 1926 by British Standard Glossary of Terms in Electrical Engineering.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.