Meanings
nounWimshurst machine (plural Wimshurst machines)
plural Wimshurst machines
- 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.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounelectrical device that produces a high voltage by building up a charge of static electricity
Similar
Broader
electrical device
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Developed between 1880 and 1883 by British inventor James Wimshurst (1832–1903).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Wimshurst machine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Wimshurst%20machine
MLA
“Wimshurst machine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Wimshurst%20machine. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Wimshurst machine,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Wimshurst%20machine.
Source: Wimshurst machine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.