Meanings
comparative more polyphase · superlative most polyphase
- businessOf, pertaining to, or involving multiple alternating currents that have the same frequency but differ in phase.
In the past there had been several attempts to embody in locomotives some form of rotating machine to convert single-phase a.c. at supply frequency to polyphase a.c. at variable frequency, in order to achieve the necessary variable speed characteristic.
1963 November, “British achievements in electric traction”, in Modern Railways, page 313 - natural sciencesOf, pertaining to, or consisting of multiple phases of matter
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveof an electrical system that uses or generates two or more alternating voltages of the same frequency but differing in phase angle
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*polh₁ús
- Ancient Greekπολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)
- Englishpoly-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
- Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
- Ancient Greekφᾰ(ν)- (phă(n)-)
- Ancient Greekφάσις (phásis)
- New Latinphasis
- Englishphase
- Englishpolyphase
Translations
Bulgarian многофазен, многофазен
- многофазен (mnogofazen)of, pertaining to, or involving multiple alternating currents
- многофазен (mnogofazen)of, pertaining to, or consisting of multiple phases of matter
Irish ilphasach, polaphasach
- ilphasachof, pertaining to, or involving multiple alternating currents
- polaphasachof, pertaining to, or involving multiple alternating currents
- ilphasachof, pertaining to, or consisting of multiple phases of matter
- polaphasachof, pertaining to, or consisting of multiple phases of matter
Cite this entry
polyphase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polyphase
“polyphase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polyphase. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “polyphase,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polyphase.
Source: polyphase on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.