Collins English-English Dictionary

power ['paυə]

1. 1. n ability or capacity to do something

2. 2. n [physics] [engineering] a measure of the rate of doing work expressed as the work done per unit time. It is measured in watts, horsepower, etc P

3. 3. n [often plural] a specific ability, capacity, or faculty

4. 4. n political, financial, social, etc, force or influence

5. 5. n control or dominion or a position of control, dominion, or authority

6. 6. n a state or other political entity with political, industrial, or military strength

7. 7. n a person who exercises control, influence, or authority

   he's a power in the state

8. 8. n a prerogative, privilege, or liberty

9. 9. n legal authority to act, esp in a specified capacity, for another

10. 10. n the document conferring such authority

11. 11. n a military force

12. 12. n military potential

13. 13. n [maths] the value of a number or quantity raised to some exponent

14. 14. n another name for exponent

15. 15. n [statistics] the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis in a test when it is false. The power of a test of a given null depends on the particular alternative hypothesis against which it is tested

16. 16. n the rate at which electrical energy is fed into or taken from a device or system. It is expressed, in a direct-current circuit, as the product of current and voltage and, in an alternating-current circuit, as the product of the effective values of the current and voltage and the cosine of the phase angle between them. It is measured in watts

17. 17. n (as modifier)

    a power amplifier

18. 18. n the ability to perform work

19. 19. n mechanical energy as opposed to manual labour

20. 20. n (as modifier)

    a power mower

21. 21. n a particular form of energy

    nuclear power

22. 22. n a measure of the ability of a lens or optical system to magnify an object, equal to the reciprocal of the focal length. It is measured in dioptres

23. 23. n another word for magnification

24. 24. n [informal] a large amount or quantity

    a power of good

25. 25. n [plural] the sixth of the nine orders into which the angels are traditionally divided in medieval angelology

26. 26. vt. [tr] to give or provide power to

27. 27. vt. to fit (a machine) with a motor or engine

28. 28. vi. [intr] [slang] to travel with great speed or force

29. 29. vi. See also power down power up

30. 30. vi. [Etymology] C13: from Anglo-Norman poer, from Vulgar Latin potere (unattested), from Latin posse to be able