Electrical Engineering Dictionary

General Handbook
for Electrical
Engineers
Compiled By:
Muhammad Haris
14R-13-EE-179
Table of contents
Section 1: Electrical Engineering Jargons.....
03
Section 2: 100 English Vocabulary building words.....
37
Section 3: Word synonyms and antonyms..... 47
Section 4: Word Families... 54

References.. 60
Section 1:
Electrical
Engineering
Jargons
General Handbook for Electrical Engineers
3|Page
Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons
A
A/D
A device that changes an analog
signal to a digital signal of
corresponding magnitude. This
device is also called an encoder, adc,
or a/c converter.
acceptance
The phase-space volume within
which the beam must lie to be
transmitted through an optical system
without losses.
accumulator
aberration
A register in the CPU (processor) that

stores one of the operands prior to
the execution of an operation, and
into which the result of the operation
is stored.
An imperfection of an optical system

that leads to a blurred or a distorted
image.
actuator
absorption
A transducer that converts electrical,

hydraulic, or pneumatic energy to
effective motion.
Process that dissipates energy and

causes a decrease in the amplitude
and intensity of a propagating wave
between an input and output
reference plane.
address
AC
algorithm
A periodic current the average value

of which over a period is zero.
A systematic and precise, step-bystep procedure (such as a recipe, a

program, or set of programs) for
solving a certain kind of problem or
accomplishing a task.
accelerator
A machine used to impart large
kinetic energies to charged particles
such as electrons, protons, and
atomic nuclei. The accelerated
particles are used to probe nuclear or
subnuclear phenomena in industrial
and medical applications.
4|Page
A unique identier for the place

where information is stored.
aliasing
Distortion introduced in a digital
signal when it is under sampled.
ammeter
annealing
An instrument for measuring electric

current in amperes.
A process often used in

semiconductor processing to cause a
change in materials or device
properties to improve the circuit
performance and/or reliability.
Amperes law
A fundamental relationship in
electromagnetic theory. In a fairly
general form it is expressed by one of
Maxwells equations.
anode
amplier
antenna
A circuit element that has a linear

input-output signal relationship, with
gain in voltage, current, and/or
power.
amplitude
A device used to couple energy from

a guiding structure (transmission line,
waveguide, etc.) Into a propagation
medium, such as free space, and
vice versa. It provides directivity and
gain for the transmission and
reception of electromagnetic waves.
Descriptor of the strength of a wave

disturbance such as an
electromagnetic or acoustic wave.
argument
The positive electrode of a device.
A piece of data given to a hardware

operator block.
analog data
Data represented in a continuous
form with respect to continuous time,
as contrasted with digital data
represented in a discrete
(discontinuous) form in a sequence of
time instant.
AND
The Boolean operator that
implements the conjunction of two
predicates.
armature
The magnetic circuit of a rotating
electrical machine, including the main
current carrying winding, in which an
alternating voltage is induced by the
magnetic eld.
artefact
An error or aberration in a signal that
is the result of aliasing, a quantization
error, some form of noise.
5|Page
ASCII
axon
A binary code comprised of seven

digits, originally used to transmit
telegraph signal information.
The conducting portion of a nerve

ber.
attenuation
The exponential decrease with
distance, in the amplitude of an
electric signal traveling along a very
long transmission line due to losses
in the supporting medium.
azimuth recording
A recording scheme where by the
data is recorded at an acute angle
from the direction of movement of the
recording medium. Used in the
recording scheme of video
information, FM radio, and audio in
VCRs.
autotransformer
A power transformer that has a single
continuous winding per phase, part of
this winding being common to both
the primary and the secondary sides.
As a result, these voltages are not
isolated but the transformer is
reduced in weight and size.
avalanche breakdown
Process that occurs in a
semiconductor space charge region
under a sufciently high voltage.
AVR
An automatic feedback control
system that is responsible for
maintaining a scheduled voltage
either at the terminals of a
synchronous generator or at the highside bus of the generator step-up
transformer.
6|Page
B
back EMF
A voltage developed in an electrical
winding by Faradays Law that
opposes the source voltage, thus
limiting the current in the winding.
band
Reference name for a range of
frequencies. Current dened bands
include the following.
bandwidth
The frequency range of a message or
information processing system
measured in hertz.
baud
BIT
The signaling rate, or rate of state

transitions, on a communications
medium.
The fundamental unit of information

representation in a computer, short
for binary digit and with two values
usually represented by 0 and 1.
BCD
A weighted code using patterns of
four bits to represent each decimal
position of a number.
BJT
A three-terminal nonlinear device
composed of two bipolar junctions
(collector-base, base-emitter) in close
proximity
benchmark
Standard tests that are used to
compare the performance of
computers, processors, circuits, or
algorithms.
biasing
The technique of applying a direct
current voltage to a transistor or an
active network to establish the
desired operating point.
BIOS
Part of a low-level operating system
that directly controls input and output
devices.
bipolar
A type of transistor that uses both
polarities of carriers (electrons and
holes) in its operation as a junction
transistor.
Boolean
An operator or an expression of
George Booles algebra (1847). A
Boolean variable or signal can
assume only two values: TRUE or
FALSE.
boost converter
A circuit conguration in which a
transistor is switched by PWM trigger
pulses and a diode provides an
inductor current continuation path
when the transistor is off. During the
transistor on-time, the current builds
up in the inductor. During the
transistor off-time, the voltage across
the inductor reverses and adds to the
input voltage, as a result, the output
voltage is greater than the input
voltage.
BPI
Bits per inch.
7|Page
breadboard
An experimental device built only to
investigate, test, analyze, evaluate,
validate, a concept, device, circuit,
equipment, or system.
breakdown
As applied to insulation (including
air), the failure of an insulator or
insulating region to prevent
conduction, typically because of high
voltage.
elements are transferred within a

system.
bus
A data path connecting the different
subsystems or modules within a
computer system. A computer
system will usually have more than
one bus; each bus will be customized
to t the data transfer needs between
the modules that it connects.
broadband
A service or system requiring
transmission channels capable of
supporting bit rates greater than 2
Mbit/s.
cache
An intermediate memory storage
calibration
brush
A conductor, usually carbon or a
carboncopper mixture, that makes
sliding electrical contact to the rotor
of an electrical machine.
buck converter
A transistor is switched by PWM
trigger pulses and a diode provides a
current continuation path when the
transistor is off, thus the input voltage
is chopped.
The procedure of characterizing the

equipment in place for a particular
measurement.
capacitance
The measure of the electrical size of
a capacitor, in units of farads.
carcinotron
A forward radial traveling wave
amplier in which microwave signals
are fed to the radial slow wave
structure.
buffer
A temporary data storage area in
memory that compensates for the
different speeds at which different
8|Page
carry
charge
Overow signal that occurs when the

sum of the operands at the inputs of
the adder equals the base.
A basic physical quantity that is a

source of electromagnetic elds.
cascade
A circuit technique in which the
current output of the collector (drain)
of a BJT (FET) is buffered by a
common base (common gate)
amplier stage.
chattering
Fast switching.
checksum
Checksum is a value used to
determine if a block of data has
changed.
cathode
The negative electrode of a device.
cell
chirp
The varying in time of a carrier
frequency signal.
The area serviced by one base

station.
circuit
cepstrum
A physical device consisting of an

interconnection of elements, or a
topological model of such a device.
Inverse Fourier transform of the

logarithm of the Fourier power
spectrum of a signal.
clamping
channel
The medium along which data travel
between the transmitter and receiver
in a communication system. This
could be a wire, coaxial cable, free
space, etc.
chaos
Erratic and unpredictable dynamic
behaviour of a deterministic system
that never repeats itself.
The process of xing either the

minima or maxima of a voltage
clipping
Nonlinear distortion that occurs when
the input to an amplier exceeds the
ampliers linear range.
clock
The oscillator circuit that generates a
periodic synchronization signal.
9|Page
coax
compensator
A transmission line formed by two

concentric conductors separated by a
dielectric designed to conne the
elds and their energy in the medium
between said conductors.
A system block added to an existing

system (or process) to produce a
combined transfer function that
improves its performance when
connected in a closed loop
conguration.
codec
Word formed from encoder and
decoder. A device that performs
encoding and decoding of
communications protocols.
compiler
A program that translates a high level
language program into an executable
machine instruction program or other
lower-level form such as assembly
language.
coherent
Integration where magnitude and
phase of received signals are
preserved in summation.
coil
A conductor shaped to form a closed
geometric path.
commutation
The process by which alternating
current in the rotating coil of a DC
machine is converted to
unidirectional current.
comparator
A logic element that compares two
binary numbers (A and B) to
determine if A = B, A<B, or A>B. An
exclusive NOR gate operates like a
1-bit comparator.
10 | P a g e
complement
To swap 1s for 0s and 0s for 1s in
a binary number.
computer
An electronic, electromechanical, or
purely mechanical device that
accepts input, performs some
computational operations on the
input, and produces some output.
conductance
A characteristic that describes the
availability and the mobility of
conduction electrons within a
material.
conductivity
A measure of a materials ability to
conduct electrical current.
conduit
current
A pipe through which an electrical

cables are laid.
The ow of charge, measured in

amperes
control
Intervention, by means of appropriate
manipulated inputs, into the
controlled process in the course of its
operation; some form of observation
of the actual controlled process
behavior is usually being used by the
controller.
convergence
The condition when the electron
beams from a multi-beam CRT meet
at a single point.
copper loss
Electric loss due to the resistance in
conductors, windings, brush contacts
or joints, in electric machinery or
circuits. Also referred to as i2r, the
losses are manifested as heat.
core
The ferromagnetic portion of a
transformer or electric machine on
which the coils are mounted.
coupler
A passive, wavelength in sensitive,
ber optic component that combines
all inputs and distributes them to the
outputs with a dened splitting ratio.
D
D ip-op
A basic sequential logic circuit, also
known as bistable, whose output
assumes the value (0 or 1) at its D
input when the device is clocked.
Hence it can be used as a single bit
memory device, or a unit delay.
damping
A characteristic built in to electrical
circuits and mechanical systems that
prevents rapid or excessive
corrections that may lead to instability
or oscillatory conditions.
data
Any information, represented in
binary, that a computer receives,
processes, or outputs.
DC
Constant voltage with no variation
over time. This can be considered in
general terms as an alternating
current (ac) with a frequency of
variation of zero, or a zero frequency
signal.
11 | P a g e
debug
diffusion
To remove errors from hardware or

software.
A region of a semiconductor into

which a very high concentration of
impurity has been diffused in order to
substantially increase the majority
carrier concentration in that region.
decimal
From the number system that has
base 10 and employs 10 digits.
decoder
A logic circuit with N inputs and 2n
outputs, one and only one of which is
asserted to indicate the numerical
value of the N input lines read as a
binary number.
digital
Circuits or systems that employ two
valued (binary) signals denoted by
the digits 0and1.
Normallybinary1isusedtoindicate
high/true and binary 0 to indicate
low/false (positive logic).
diode
delay
The time required for a signal to
propagate along a wire.
delta connection
A three-phase power source or load
in which the elements are connected
in series and are thus represented on
a schematic diagram as a triangular
conguration.
demodulation
The process by which a modulated
signal is recovered back to its original
form.
demultiplexer
A logic circuit with K inputs and I
controls which steers the K inputs to
one set of 2i sets of output lines.
12 | P a g e
A two-terminal device that permits

the ow of electric current in only one
direction.
discriminator
A circuit whose output voltage varies
in magnitude and polarity in direct
proportion to the difference between
the input voltage and a standard
signal.
dissipation
The phenomenon associated with the
attenuation of a propagating wave in
a medium with material losses.
distortion
Addition of an unwanted component
to an electronic signal.
domain
Module or area of execution that is to
be kept isolated from other domains.
paths between brushes is double that

provided by a simplex winding.
duty cycle
dont care
A function that can be taken either as
a minterm or a maxterm at the
convenience of the user.
The ratio of the turn-on time of a

semiconductor switch to the sum of
the turn-on and turn-off times.
dyed resist
doping
The process of introducing impurity
atoms in to pure silicon to change its
electrical properties.
A photoresist with an added non

photosensitive chemical that absorbs
light at the exposing wavelength.
dynamo
Doppler effect
A frequency shift in a received signal
caused by time-variant transmission
delay, or equivalently time-variant
propagation path length.
down-sampling
An operation that removes samples
with certain indexes from a discrete
time signal and then re-indexes the
remaining samples.
A term used to describe any of a

variety of rotating machines that
convert mechanical to electrical
energy, or less commonly, electrical
to mechanical energy.
dynamometer
A rotating device used to measure
the steady-state torque and power
output of rotating machines.
dropout
Equipment misoperation due to an
interruption, noise, or sag.
duplex
A method of winding the armature of
a commutated electric machine such
that the number of parallel electrical
earthing
An earth-connected electrical
conducting connection that may be
designed or non-intentionally created.
13 | P a g e
Eddy current
encoder
A circulating current in magnetic

materials that is produced as a result
of time-varying ux passing through a
metallic magnetic material.
A logic circuit with 2N inputs and N

outputs, the outputs indicating the
number of the one input line that is
asserted.
edge
encryption
A local intensity discontinuity, often

corresponding to the boundary of an
object, in an image.
The transformation employed to

transform information to be
transmitted (plaintext) into a format
that is unintelligible.
efciency
The ratio of the input power to the
output power. It is a gure of merit for
the energy cost effectiveness of a
device.
electrolyte
Current-conducting solution between
two electrodes or plates of a
capacitor, at least one of which is
covered by a dielectric.
energy
That which does work or is capable
of doing work. In electrical systems, it
is generally a reference to electrical
energy measured in kilo-watt hours.
entity
A software process that implements a
part of a protocol in a computer
communication network.
electromagnet
error
A magnet that employs an electric

current in a coil to produce a
magnetic eld.
Manifestation of a fault at logical

level. For example, a physical short
or
breakmayresultinlogicalerrorofstuckat-0 or stuck-at-1 state of some
signal in the considered circuit.
emulate
Executing a program compiled to one
instruction set on a microprocessor
that
usesanincompatibleinstructionset,bytr
anslatingtheincompatibleinstructions
whilethe program is running.
14 | P a g e
etching
A reactive process where material is
removed from a semiconductor
device or printed circuit board.
ethernet
ferromagnetic materials
A standard for interconnecting

devices on a local area network
(LAN).
In which internal magnetic moments

spontaneously line up parallel to
each other to form domains, resulting
in permeabilities considerably higher
than unity
exciter
A DC source that supplies the eld
current to produce a magnetic ux in
an electric machine.
extrinsic
Associated with the outside or
exterior. In devices and device
modeling, extrinsic refers to that part
of the device or model associated
with the passive structures that
provide interconnects and contacts to
other components, but are still
considered a part of the device.
F
Farad
The basic unit of measure in
capacitors. A capacitor charged to 1
volt with a charge of 1 coulomb (1
ampere owing for 1 second) has a
capacitance of 1 farad.
feedback
Signal or data that is sent back to a
commanding unit from a control
process output for use as input in
subsequent operations.
FET
A majority carrier device that
behaves like a bipolar transistor with
the important difference that the gate
has a very high input impedance and
therefore draws no current.
fidelity
A qualitative term used to describe
how closely the output amplitude of a
device faithfully reproduces that of its
input.
eld
The member of an electrical machine
that provides the main magnetic ux,
which then interacts with the
armature causing the desired
machine operation.
fifo
A queuing discipline whereby the
entries in a queue are removed in the
same order as that in which they
joined the queue.
filter
A network, usually composed of
inductors and capacitors (for lumped
circuit), or transmission lines of
15 | P a g e
varying length and characteristic

impedance (for distributed circuit),
that passes AC signals over a certain
frequency range while blocking
signals at other frequencies.
produced by absorption of radiation

with a wavelength shorter than the
emitted light.
flux
Software that cannot be modied by
the end user.
Lines that indicate the intensity and

direction of a eld. Intensity is usually
represented by the density of the
lines.
flag
FM
A bit used to set or reset some

condition or state in assembly
language or machine language.
Angle modulation in which the

instantaneous frequency of a sinewave carrier is caused to depart from
the carrier frequency by an amount
proportional to the instantaneous
value of the modulating wave.
firmware
flashover
Arcing between segments of the
commutator of a DC machine.
flip-op
A basic digital device capable of
storing one bit of information (1 or 0).
flowchart
A traditional graphic representation of
an algorithm or a program, in using
named functional blocks (rectangles),
decision evaluators (diamonds), and
I/O symbols (paper, disk)
interconnected by directional arrows
which indicate the ow of processing.
Also called ow diagram.
frequency
The repetition rate of a periodic
signal used to represent or process a
communication signal. Frequency is
expressed in units of hertz (hz).
fringing
The portion of the ux at the air gap
in a magnetic circuit that does not
follow the shortest path between the
poles.
full adder
A combinational logic circuit that
produces a two-bit sum of three onebit binary numbers.
fluorescence
Emission of light from an
electronically excited state that was
16 | P a g e
function
A programming construct that creates
its own frame on a stack, accepting
arguments, performing some
computation, and returning a result.
fuse
An overcurrent device that employs
one or more fusible elements in
series.
closed surface is equal to the total

electric/magnetic charge enclosed.
generator
Electromechanical devices that
convert mechanical power into
electrical power, typically via Faraday
induction effects between moving
and stationary current carrying coils
and/or magnets.
genlock
G
g (giga)
A shortened term for generator lock,

meaning that one sync generator
system is locked to another.
A prex indicating a quantity of 109.
glitch
gain
An incorrect state of a signal that

lasts a short time compared to the
clock period of the circuit.
The ratio of the output variable of a

device to its input variable.
galloping
A low-frequency vibration of electric
power lines caused by wind.
gate
A logical or physical entity that
performs one logical operation, such
as AND, NOT, or OR.
Gauss law
Fundamental law of electromagnetic
eld that states that the total
electric/magnetic ux through a
governor
A device connected to a rotating
machine by which the speedregulating system is automatically
adjusted to maintain constant speed
under various load conditions.
grip
A twisted wire tie which secures a
wire to an insulator or other xture.
ground
The electrical zero state, used as
the reference voltage in computer
systems.
17 | P a g e
guy
A wire which extends at an angle
from a utility pole to the ground in
order to brace the pole against
toppling due to unbalanced forces
from the utility lines it supports.
of the basic frequency (or

fundamental frequency).
hazard
A momentary output error that occurs
in a logic circuit because of input
signal propagation along different
delay paths in the circuit.
heap
hacker
A person who explores computer and
communication systems, usually for
intellectual challenge, commonly
applied to those who try to
circumvent security barriers
(crackers).
halfadder
A logic circuit that produces the sum
and carry outputs for two input
signals. A half adder has no carry
input.
Data storage structure that accepts

items of various sizes and is not
ordered. Contrast with stack.
hole
ctitious positive charge representing
the motion of electrons in the valence
band of a semiconductor; the number
of holes equals the number of
unoccupied quantum states in the
valence band.
hot
An energized conductor.
Hall effect
The phenomenon whereby charge
carriers are displaced perpendicularly
to their drift velocity when current
ows in the presence of a magnetic
eld.
harmonic
The sinusoidal component of a
periodic waveform that has a
frequency equal to an integer multiple
18 | P a g e
hunting
A mechanical oscillation in the speed
of a synchronous machine due to
changes in the load. Damper
windings are used to reduce the
hunting by providing a torque that
opposes the change in speed.
hybrid circuit
A circuit based on at least two
different technologies. For instance, a

circuit built by using solid state
circuits and tubes.
hydrophone
Receiving sensors that convert sound
energy into electrical or optical
energy (analogous to underwater
microphones).
hydropower
Conversion of potential energy of
water into electricity using generators
coupled to impulse or reaction water
turbines.
hysteresis
The phenomenon that the magnetic
state of a substance is dependent
upon its magnetic history, so that its
magnetization for an increasing
magnetizing force differs from that for
a decreasing magnetizing force.
IEEE
A professional organization of
electrical engineers and computer
scientists. The worlds largest
professional organization.
immittance
A response function for which one
variable is a voltage and the other a
current.
impedance
Electrical property of a network that
measures its ability to conduct
electrical AC current for a given AC
voltage.
increment
To add a constant value (usually 1) to
a variable or a register. Pointers to
memory are usually incremented by
the size of the data item pointed to.
independence
A complete absence of any
dependence between statistical
quantities.
i/o
Input/output. Operations or devices
that provide data to or accept data
from a computer.
idempotent
index
That part of memory address used to
access the locations in the cache,
generally the next most signicant
bits of the address after the tag.
An operator is idempotent if applying

it twice gives the same result as
applying it only once.
19 | P a g e
inductance
instar
A parameter that describes the ability

of a device to store magnetic ux.
The units are henrys per meter.
A term used for a neuron fed by a set

of inputs through synaptic weights.
inductor
instruction
A two-terminal electrical element that

satises a prescribed algebraic
relationship in the ux-current
(I)plane.
Specication of a collection of
operations that may be treated as an
atomic entity with a guarantee of no
dependencies between these
operations.
innite bus
Integrated Circuit (IC)
An electrical supply with such large

capacity that its voltage(and
frequency, if AC) may be assumed
constant, independent of load
conditions.
An assembly of miniature electronic

components simultaneously
produced in batch processing, on or
within a single substrate, that
performs an electronic circuit
function.
information
A mathematical model of the amount
of surprise contained in a message.
infrared (IR)
Invisible electromagnetic radiation
having wavelengths longer than
those of red light; often considered to
range from about 0.7 micrometers to
100 micrometers.
insolation
Incident solar radiation.
instantaneous
The range of 0.5 to 30 cycles of the
supply frequency.
20 | P a g e
interface
The set of rules specied for
communicating with a dened entity.
interlock
The mechanism that stalls a pipeline
while a result needed in the pipeline
is being produced.
interpole
A set of small poles located midway
between the main poles of a DC
machine, containing a winding
connected in series with the armature
circuit. The interpole improves
commutation by neutralizing the ux
distortion in the neutral plane caused
by armature reaction.
interpreter
A computer program that translates
and immediately performs intended
operations of the source statements
of a high-level language program.
interrupt
An input to a processor that signals
the occurrence of an asynchronous
event. The processors response to
an interrupt is to save the current
machine state and execute a
predened subprogram.
of undesired changes in the system

are not seen by the separated part.
J
JFET
A type of FET in which the high input
resistance at the gate is achieved by
use of a reverse biased p-n junction
between the gate and the drainsource channel.
intrinsic
JK ip-op
Term associated with the inside or

interior. In devices and device
modeling, intrinsic refers to that part
of the device or model associated
with the active semiconductor
structures that control device
operation, or provide the desired
functions.
Device that uses two inputs (J and K)

to control the state of its Q and Q0
outputs.
inversion
When a positive (negative) voltage is
applied between a conductor and a
ptype (n-type) semiconductor
separated by a thin dielectric layer,
the majority carrier holes (electrons)
are repelled and minority carrier
electrons (holes) are trapped at the
surface.
jumper
A plug or wire used for setting the
conguration of system.
K
Kalman lter
The method of recursively estimating
the state vector of a linear dynamic
system based on noisy output
measurements.
isolation
The separation of a part from other
parts of the system so that the effects
21 | P a g e
Kirchoffs laws
Laws that govern the relationships

between voltages/currents in a
circuit/network.
laddertron
klystrode
An amplier device for UHFTV
signals that combines aspects of a
tetrode (grid modulation) with a
klystron (velocity modulation of an
electron beam).
KU-band
A microwave vacuum tube oscillator

with a slow-wave structure coupled to
a single-cavity resonator.
lag circuit
A simple passive electronic circuit
designed to add a dominant pole to
compensate the performance of a
given system.
Frequency band of approximately

1112 ghz.
lamination
Kva
A measure of apparent power, often
in the rating of a piece of equipment
or the measure of an electrical load,
which is obtained by multiplying the
device voltage in kilovolts by the
current in amperes.
KVL
Kirchhoffs voltage law a fundamental
law of electricity that states that the
sum of the voltage drops and rises in
a closed loop must equal 0.
A thin sheet of metal used to build up

the core of an electromagnetic
device. Laminations are insulated
from each other to reduce the losses
associated with eddy currents.
lapwinding
An armature winding on a DC
machine in which the two ends of
each coil are connected to adjacent
bars on the commutator ring.
laser
Acronym that stands for light
amplication by stimulated emission
of radiation. Usually refers to an
oscillator rather than an amplier.
22 | P a g e
latch
linear
A small temporary holding cell for a

value, the value on the input wires is
buffered upon occurrence of some
event, such as a clock pulse or rising
edge of a separate latch signal.
A circuit or element in which the

output spectrum is proportional
through gain(s), attenuation(s) and
delay(s) to the input spectrum, and in
which no spectral shift, conversion or
generation takes place.
lead
A conductive path, usually
selfsupporting; the portion of an
electrical component that connects it
to outside circuitry.
leader
An elongated region of ionized gas
that extends from one electrode to
another just before a high-voltage
breakdown.
leakage
The ux in a magnetic circuit that
does not do any useful work.
LED
A forward biased p-n junction that
emits light through spontaneous
emission by a phenomenon termed
electroluminescence.
literal
A data type consisting of
alphanumeric data.
lock
A synchronization variable, used in
shared-memory multiprocessors, that
allows only one processor to hold it at
any one time, thus enabling
processors to guarantee that only
one has access to key data
structures or critical sections of code
at any one time.
loop
A set of branches forming a closed
current path, provided that the
omission of any branch eliminates
the closed path.
limiter
An equipment or circuit that has a
function to keep output power
constant.
23 | P a g e
impedance to the characteristic

impedance of said line and thus
eliminate the presence of standing
waves on the line.
m(mega)
Abbreviationfor1,048,576(not for 1
million).
magnet
Any object that can sustain an
external magnetic eld
magnetron
Any arrangement of magnets in a
sputter deposition or etch system that
provides the magnetic eld required
to trap electrons in closed loops near
the cathode, thus enhancing
deposition/etch rates.
memory
Area for storing computer instructions
and data for either short-term or longterm purposes.
meshanalysis
A circuit analysis technique in which
KVL is used to determine the mesh
currents in a network. A mesh is a
loop that does not contain any loops
within it.
metadyne
A DC machine with more than two
brush sets per pair of poles.
mask
To specify a number of values that
allow some entities in a set, and
disallow the others in the set, from
being active or valid.
microcode
master
microcontroller
The system component responsible

for controlling a number of others
(called slaves).
An integrated circuit chip that is

designed primarily for control
systems and products. In addition to
a CPU, a microcontroller typically
includes memory, timing circuits, and
I/O circuitry.
matching
A collection of low-level operations

that are executed as a result of a
single instruction being issued.
When referring to circuits, the

process by which a network is placed
between a load and a transmission
line in order to transform the load
24 | P a g e
microphone
A device that converts acoustical
signals into electrical signals.
microprocessor
A CPU realized on an LSI or VLSI
chip.
and single phase AC electric power

systems, typically at or near the
potential of the earth.
nibble
Four bits of information.
node
Acronym for modulation doped FET.
A symbol representing a physical

connection between two electrical
components in a circuit.
modulation
NOR gate
Variation of the amplitude or phase of

an electromagnetic wave.
A logic circuit that performs the

operation equivalent to the OR gate
followed by the inverter.
modfet
motor
An electromechanical device that
converts electrical energy from a DC
or an AC source into mechanical
energy, usually in the form of rotary
motion.
NOT
A Boolean operation that returns the
1s complement of the data to which
it is applied.
notch
N
NAND gate
A logic circuit that performs the
operation equivalent to the AND gate
followed by the inverter.
A disturbance of the normal voltage

waveform of duration less than 0.5
cycles, is of a polarity that is opposite
to the waveform and is hence
subtracted from the normal waveform
with respect to the peak value of the
disturbance voltage.
nullator
neutral
A conductor which completes the
electric circuit from the load to the
source in three-phase Y-connected
An idealized two-terminal network

element that conducts no current and
yet maintains zero volts across itself.
25 | P a g e
O
octave
A frequency ratio of two.
offset
A sustained derivation or error due to
an inherent characteristic of
positioning controller action.
Ohms law
OPamp
A high-gain DC coupled amplier with
a differential input and single-ended
output. In nearly all amplier
applications, the op-amp is used with
negative feedback (closed-loop), so
that the closed-loop gain of the
amplier depends primarily on the
feedback network components, and
not on the op-amp itself. It is widely
used as a basic building block in
electronic designs.
optimization
A fundamental law which states that

the voltage across a resistance is
directly proportional to the current
owing through it.
Determining the values of the set of

free parameters that minimizes or
maximizes an objective function. The
minimization or maximization may be
subject to additional constraints.
ones complement
optode
A representation of integer numbers

in which a data word is organized
such that negative numbers all
contain a binary one in the leftmost
bit while positive numbers contain a
zero in the leftmost bit, and in which
the negative numbers are the bit-bybit inverse of their positive equivalent.
A ber optic sensor used to

determine the concentration of a
particular chemical species present in
the sensors environment by utilizing
spectroscopic changes in a sensing
element placed at the end of the
optical ber.
open-loop gain
OR
The gain of an operational amplier

with no feedback applied.
The Boolean operator that

implements the disjunction of two
predicates.
operand
organic led
Specication of a storage location

that provides data to or receives data
from the operation.
A group of recently developed

organic material that emits light in
response to electrical input. Although
26 | P a g e

lower in efciency, they have greater
manufacturing exibility than
semiconductor led.
payload containing some data, and

either a header or a trailer containing
control information.
oscillator
parallel bus
A circuit that generates a repetitive

series of pulses at a certain
frequency.
A data communication path between

parts of the system that has one line
for each bit of data being transmitted.
overow
parity
A data condition in arithmetic

operations of signed numbers where
the magnitude of a result exceeds the
number of bits assigned to represent
the magnitude.
Property of a binary sequence that

determines if the number of 1s in the
sequence is either odd or even.
parking
overload
A situation that results in electrical
equipment carrying more than its
rated current. Placing too much
electrical load on a generator or too
much mechanical load on a motor
would cause an overload.
On a bus, a priority scheme that

allows a bus master to gain control of
the bus without arbitration.
parsing
The process of detecting whether a
given string belongs to a given
language, typically represented by
grammars.
PCB
A junction between regions of the

same bulk material that differ in the
concentration of dopants, n-type on
one side and p-type on the other.
A substrate made from insulating

material that has one or more
sandwiched metallic conductor layers
applied that are etched to form
interconnecting traces useful for
interconnecting components.
packet
permeability
A unit of data which is sent over a

network. A packet comprises a
Tensor relationship between the

magnetic eld vector and the
P-N junction
27 | P a g e
magnetic ux density vector in a

medium with no hysteresis; ux
density divided by the magnetic eld
in scalar media.
between the input and the measured

actual output.
piezoelectric
permeance
The magnetic analog for
conductance, indicating the ease with
which magnetic ux will follow a
certain path, which can be
approximated by calculations based
purely on magnetic circuit geometry.
phasor
A complex number representing the
amplitude and phase of a sinusoidal
function.
Pertaining to a material that

possesses a noncentrosymetric
crystal structure that will generate
charge on the application of a
mechanical stress.
pin
The electronic connection that allows
connection between an integrated
circuit or circuit board and some
socket into which it is plugged.
pin diode
photodetector
Device capable of producing or
modifying an electrical signal in
proportion to the amount of light
falling on the active area of the
device.
photon
A minimum energy quantum of light
energy proportional to the frequency
of the radiation.
A diode with a large intrinsic region

sandwiched between p- and n-doped
semiconducting regions.
pinch-off voltage
The gate-to-source voltage at which
the channel current is reduced to a
very small predetermined level
specied in milliamperes per
millimeter.
pipelining
PID
A control scheme whereby the signal
that drives the actuator equals the
weighted sum of 1. The difference, 2.
Time integral of the difference, and 3.
Time derivative of the difference
28 | P a g e
A technique to increase the output. A

long task is divided into components,
and each component is distributed to
one processor.
plugging
propagation
A procedure to bring a three phase

motor to an abrupt stop by reversing
the direction of the rotating magnetic
eld in the airgap.
The motion of electromagnetic waves

through a medium or free space.
prototyping
poison
Any material or process which
absorbs neutrons and thus dampens
a nuclear ssion reaction, e.g.,
control rods.
polarity
The notation used in the assignment
of voltages. In dc generators, the
polarity of the armature voltage can
be reversed by either reversing its
eld current or by rotating the
generator in reverse direction.
potential
An auxiliary scalar or vector eld that
mathematically simplies the solution
process associated with vector
boundary value problems.
power
A measurable quantity that is the
time rate of increase or decrease in
energy. Units are in watts.
primemover
The system that provides the
mechanical power input for a
mechanical-to electrical energy
conversion system.
Building an engineering model of all

or part of a system to prove that the
concept works.
pseudo code
A technique for specifying the logic of
a program in an English-like
language. Pseudo code does not
have to follow any syntax rules and
can be read by anyone who
understands programming logic.
pulse
A sudden change of an electrical
value of short duration with a quick
return to the original value.
PWM
A control technique used in variable
speed DC, AC, or other electrical
variable speed drives to control the
harmonic content of the applied
voltage or current. Typically, the
pulse width is modulated in three
ways, trailingedge modulation,
leading-edge modulation, and
double-edge modulation. Most
popular is sinusoidal PWM for AC
drives.
29 | P a g e
pyroelectric
radiation
A polar dielectric material in which

the internal dipole moment is
temperature dependent.
The phenomenon by which sources

generate energy, which propagates
away from them in the form of waves.
Q
quadword
radix
The base number in a number
system. Decimal (radix 10) and
binary (radix 2) are two example
number systems.
A data unit formed from four words.
RAM
quantization
The process of converting amplitude
values that can take on many
different values (innitely many for
analog signals) into a nite (or more
coarse) representation.
R
radar
An instrument that transmits
electromagnetic waves and receives
properties of the reected
electromagnetic wave from the
target, which can be used to
determine the nature and distance to
the target. Radar is an acronym that
stands for radio detection and
ranging.
Direct access read/write storage in

which each addressable unit has a
unique hardwired addressing
mechanism. The time to access a
randomly selected location is
constant and not dependent on its
position or on any previous accesses.
RC time constant
The time needed for signal traveling
from an end to the other end of a wire
is constant when the wire and the
whole chip is scaled down.
reactance grounded
An electrical system in which the
neutral is intentionally grounded
through a reactance. Frequently used
in the neutral of generators and
transformers to limit the magnitude of
line to ground fault currents.
reactive load
A load that is purely capacitive or
inductive.
30 | P a g e
real power
resonance
The power dissipated by the source

in the network.
In an RLC circuit, the resonance is

the state at which the reactance of
the inductor, XL, and the reactance of
the capacitor, XC, are equal.
register
A circuit formed from identical ipops or latches and capable of
storing several bits of data.
regulation
The change in voltage from no load
to full-load expressed as a
percentage of full-load voltage.
relay
A device that opens or closes a
contact when energized.
reluctance
The resistance to magnetic ux in a
magnetic circuit; analogous to
resistance in an electrical circuit.
ripple
The AC (time-varying) portion of the
output signal from a rectier circuit.
rotor
The rotating part of an electrical
machine including the shaft, such as
the rotating armature of a DC
machine or the eld of a synchronous
machine.
RS ip-op
A single-bit storage element, usually
formed by connecting two NOR or
NAND gates in series. RS stands for
reset set.
remanence
In a ferromagnetic material, the value
of the magnetic ux density when the
magnetic eld intensity is zero.
resistance
Ratio of the potential of an electrical
current applied to a given conductor
to the current intensity value.
sag
A decline ranging from 0.1 to 0.9 pu
in RMS voltage or current at the
supply frequency for a time period of
0.5 cycles to 1 minute.
saturation
The failure of the output to increase
as fast as the input.
31 | P a g e
schottky diode
A two-terminal junction barrier device
formed by a junction of a
semiconductor and a metal. These
diodes are widely used in integrated
circuit applications and in very high
frequency mixer and multipliers. Also
called hot-carrier diode.
self-bias
A technique employed whereby a
transistor only needs a single bias
supply voltage between the drain
terminal and ground.
semiconductor
A material in which electrons in the
outermost shell are able to migrate
from atom to atom when a modest
amount of energy is applied.
position and/or rate and measured

actual position and/or rate to achieve
the conformance.
short circuit
A condition on the power system
where energized conductors come in
contact (or generate an arc by
coming in close proximity) with each
other or with ground, allowing
(typically large) fault currents to ow.
shunt
A device having appreciable
impedance connected in parallel
across other devices
sinusoid
A periodic signal x(t) =
cos(t+)where = 2f with
frequency in hertz.
sensor
A transducer or other device whose
input is a physical phenomenon and
whose output is a quantitative
measurement of that physical
phenomenon.
skin effect
serial port
slip
A communications interface that

supports bit by bit data transmission.
In an induction motor, slip is dened

as the ratio of the slip speed to the
synchronous speed.
servomechanism
A closed-loop control system
consisting of a motor driven by a
signal that is a function of the
difference between commanded
32 | P a g e
The tendency of an alternating

current to concentrate in the areas of
lowest impedance.
sole
A nonemitting cathode.
solenoid
switch
A wound cylindrical and magnetic

material assembly used typically for
producing linear motions.
A device that allows current ow

when closed and provides isolation
when open.
spectrum
sync generator
A range of electromagnetic energy

ordered in accordance with their
relative periodicity.
Signal generator that is designed to

produce a specied signal waveform
in order to synchronize a specic
electronic device or system.
spice
A computer simulation program
developed by the University of
California, Berkeley, in 1975.
Versions are available from several
companies. The program is
particularly advantageous for
electronic circuit analysis, since DC,
AC, transient, noise, and statistical
analysis is possible.
synchronization
A situation when two or more
processes coordinate their activities
based upon a condition.
stator
tachometer
The portion of a motor that includes

and supports the stationary active
parts. The stator includes the
stationary portions of the magnetic
circuit and the associated windings
and leads.
A instrument used to measure the

speed of a rotating device.
surge
A short-duration (microsecond to
millisecond) increase in power line
voltage. Also called a spike or an
impulse.
terminator
A device connected to the physical
end of a signal line that prevents the
unwanted reection of the signal
back to its source.
threshold
The limiting value of some variable of
interest.
33 | P a g e
thyristor
transmitter
A controllable four-layer (pnpn)

power semiconductor switching
device that can only be on or off, with
no intermediate operating states like
transistors.
Equipment used to generate an RF

carrier signal, modulate this signal
and radiate it into space.
triac
token
Device that generates or assists in
generation of one-time security
code/passwords.
tolerance
The total amount by which a quantity
is allowed to vary.
A power switch that is functionally a

pair of converter-grade thyristors
connected in anti-parallel. Triacs are
mainly used in phase control
applications such as dimmer
switches for lighting.
tunnel diode
torque
A PN diode structure that uses band

to band tunneling to produce a
terminal negative differential
resistance.
The product of a force acting at a

distance. The output of an electric
motor.
tunnelling
transducer
A physical phenomenon whereby an

electron can move instantly through a
thin dielectric.
A device that converts a physical

quantity into an electrical signal.
transmission
The act of sending information from
one location to another.
transmittance
Ratio of the complex amplitude of a
transmitted wave to the complex
amplitude of the corresponding
incident wave at a transmitting
surface.
34 | P a g e
uart
Universal asynchronous receiver/
transmitter.
ultraviolet
A term referring to wavelengths
shorter than 400 nm, but longer than
30 nm. The region 400300 nm is the

near ultraviolet, 300200 is the
middle ultraviolet; and 20030 nm is
the far ultraviolet or vacuum.
underexcited
A condition of operating a
synchronous machine, in which the
current to the DC eld winding is
insufcient to establish the required
magnetic ux in the airgap.
underow
A condition in a oating-point system
where the result of an operation is
nonzero yet too small in absolute
value to be properly represented in
the system.
unpolarised
depletion region as a tuning element

or as a nonlinear frequency multiplier.
variance
The mean-squared variability of a
random variable about its mean.
volatile
Pertaining to a memory or storage
device that loses its storage
capability when power is removed.
voltage
The potential to do work, voltage is
the ratio of the energy available to
the charge, expressed in volts.
voltmeter
If the amplitude of the wave in plane

perpendicular to the direction of
propagation appears to be oriented in
all directions.
An instrument for measuring a

potential difference between different
points of an electrical circuit. Units
are volts.
V
vagueness
A property indicating the lack of
specics and clarity and which is
allied to imprecision and fuzziness.
W
wafer
A thin slice of semiconductor material
on which semiconductor devices are
made. Also called a slice or
substrate.
varactor
A reverse biased PN or Schottky
diode that uses the voltage variable
35 | P a g e
watt
XOR
Unit of power in the SI system of

units
Gate a logic gate that performs the

exclusive-OR function. Exclusive OR
is dened for two inputs as one or the
other being true but not both.
wattmeter
An instrument for measuring electric
power in watts. A wattmeter requires
connections to measure both the
current through and the voltage
across the load being measured.
Y
Y connection
wavelength
A constant that describes the
distance a periodic wave must travel
in order to repeat itself.
A three-phase source or load which

is connected such that the elements
are connected in parallel and are
thus represented in a schematic
diagram in a Y or starshaped
conguration.
whetstone
The speed of a processor as
measured by the Whetstone
benchmark.
yield
Percentage of acceptably good chips
to the total chips.
winding
A conductive path, usually wire,
inductively coupled to a magnetic
core or cell.
zener diode
Zener diode a pn-junction diode that
has an abrupt rise in current at a
reverse-bias voltage.
X-ray
Short wavelength electromagnetic
radiation; often considered to range
from about 0.1 to 100 A.
36 | P a g e
Section 2:
100 English
Vocabulary
building words
37 | P a g e
Section 2 | 100 English Vocabulary building words

a
b
(When Jerry cries, his mother gives
him chocolate to appease him.)
er
aberration
(n.)
rasomething that differs from the
norm
arcane
(Inti
1974, Poland won the World Cup,
(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by
but the success turned out to be an
a few (The professor is an expert in
aberration,
and Poland have not won
o
arcane Kashubian literature.)
a World Cup since).
n
abhor
avarice
(v.) to hate, detest

(Because he always wound up
getting hit in the head when he tried
to play cricket, Marcin began to abhor
the sport).
(n.) excessive greed

(The bankers avarice led him to
amass an enormous personal
fortune.)
brazen
acquiesce
(v.) to agree without protesting
(Though Mr. Pospieszny wanted to
stay outside and work in his garage,
when his wife told him that he had
better come in to dinner, he
acquiesced to her demands.)
alacrity
(n.) eagerness, speed
(For some reason, Simon loved to
help his girlfriend whenever he could,
so when his girlfriend asked him to
set the table he did so with alacrity.)
(adj.) excessively bold, brash, clear

and obvious (Critics condemned the
writers brazen attempt to plagiarise
Frankow-Czerwonkos work.)
brusque
(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive
(Simons brusque manner sometimes
offends his colleagues.)
cajole
(v.) to urge, coax
(Magda's friends cajoled her into
drinking too much.)
amiable
(adj.) friendly
(An amiable fellow, Neil got along
with just about everyone.)
callous
(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling
(The murderers callous lack of
remorse shocked the jury.)
appease
(v.) to calm, satisfy
38 | P a g e
c
distraught to deliver a coherent a
statement.)
n
d
complacency
or
(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger
candor
(n.) honesty, frankness
(We were surprised by the candor of
the politicians speech because she
is usually rather evasive.)
chide
(v.) to voice disapproval
(Hania chided Gregory for his vulgar
habits and sloppy appearance.)
(Simon tried to shock his friends out

of their complacency by painting a
frightening picture of what might
happen to them.)
confidant
circumspect
(adj.) cautious
(Though I promised Martas father I
would bring her home promptly by
midnight, it would have been more
circumspect not to have specified a
time.)
(n.) a person entrusted with secrets

(Shortly after we met, he became my
chief confidant.)
connive
(v.) to plot, scheme
(She connived to get me to give up
my plans to start up a new business.)
clandestine
(adj.) secret
(Announcing to her boyfriend that she
was going to the library, Maria
actually went to meet George for a
clandestine liaison.)
cumulative
(adj.) increasing, building upon itself
(The cumulative effect of hours spent
using the World English website was
a vast improvement in his vocabulary
and general level of English.)
coerce
(v.) to make somebody do something
by force or threat
(The court decided that David
Beckham did not have to honor the
contract because he had been
coerced into signing it.)
coherent
(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible
(William could not figure out what
Harold had seen because he was too
debase
(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of
something
(The large raise that he gave himself
debased his motives for running the
charity.)
decry
(v.) to criticize openly (Andrzej
Lepper, the leader of the Polish Self
39 | P a g e

d
ef party decried the appaling
Defence
eloquent
state of Polish roads.)
er
(adj.) expressive, articulate, moving
(The best man gave such an
e
eloquent speech that most guests
deferential
were crying.)
nt showing respect for anothers
(adj.)
authority (Donata is always
ia
excessively
deferential to any kind of
embezzle
authority figure.)
l
(v.) to steal money by falsifying
demure
(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved
(Though everyone else at the party
was dancing and going crazy, she
remained demure.)
deride
(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn
(The native speaker often derided the
other teachers accent.)
records
(The accountant was fired for
embezzling 10,000 of the
companys funds.)
empathy
(n.) sensitivity to anothers feelings as
if they were ones own
(I feel such empathy for my dog when
shes upset so am I!)
enmity
despot
(n.) one who has total power and
rules brutally
(The despot issued a death sentence
for anyone who disobeyed his laws.)
diligent
(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility

(John and Scott have clearly not
forgiven each other, because the
enmity between them is obvious to
anyone in their presence.)
erudite
(adj.) showing care in doing ones

work
(The diligent researcher made sure to
double check her measurements.)
(adj.) learned
(My English teacher is such an
erudite scholar that he has translated
some of the most difficult and
abstruse Old English poetry.)
elated
extol
(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled

(When he found out he had won the
lottery, the postman was elated.)
(v.) to praise, revere

(Kamila extolled the virtues of a
vegetarian diet to her meat-loving
boyfriend.)
40 | P a g e
fa
br
gluttony
ic
(n.) overindulgence in food or drink
(Helens fried chicken tastes so
at
divine, I dont know how anyone can
call gluttony a sin.)
e
fabricate
(v.) to make up, invent
(When I arrived an hour late to class,
I fabricated some excuse about my
car breaking down on the way to
work.)
feral
gratuitous
(adj.) wild, savage

(That beast looks so feral that I would
fear being alone with it.)
(adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted

(Every evening the guy at the fish
and chip shop gives me a gratuitous
helping of vinegar.)
flabbergasted
haughty
(adj.) astounded
(Whenever I read an Agatha Christie
mystery novel, I am always
flabbergasted when I learn the
identity of the murderer.)
(adj.) disdainfully proud

(The superstars haughty dismissal of
her co-stars will backfire on her
someday.)
forsake
(v.) to give up, renounce
(I won't forsake my conservative
principles.)
fractious
(adj.) troublesome or irritable
(Although the child insisted he wasnt
tired, his fractious behaviour especially his decision to crush his
jam sandwiches all over the floor convinced everyone present that it
was time to put him to bed.)
furtive
(adj.) secretive, sly
(Claudias placement of her drugs in
her sock drawer was not as furtive as
she thought, as the sock drawer is
the first place most parents look.)
hypocrisy
(n.) pretending to believe what one
does not (Once the politician began
passing legislation that contradicted
his campaign promises, his hypocrisy
became apparent.)
impeccable
(adj.) exemplary, flawless
(If your grades were as impeccable
as your brothers, then you too would
receive a car for a graduation
present.)
impertinent
(adj.) rude, insolent
(Most of your comments are so
impertinent that I dont wish to dignify
them with an answer.)
41 | P a g e

i
m
implacable
inhibit
pl
(adj.) incapable of being appeased or
(v.) to prevent, restrain, stop
mitigated
(When I told you I needed the car last
a out: once you shun
(Watch
night, I certainly never meant to
Grandmothers cooking, she is totally
inhibit you from going out.)
c
implacable.)
a
innate
impudent
bl
(adj.) inborn, native, inherent
(adj.) casually rude, insolent,
(His incredible athletic talent is
e
impertinent
(The impudent young
innate, he never trains, lifts weights,
woman looked her teacher up and
down and told him he was hot.)
incisive
(adj.) clear, sharp, direct
(The discussion wasnt going
anywhere until her incisive comment
allowed everyone to see what the
true issues were.)
or practices.)
insatiable
(adj.) incapable of being satisfied
(My insatiable appetite for blondes
was a real problem on my recent
holiday in Japan!)
insular
indolent
(adj.) lazy
(Why should my indolent children,
who cant even pick themselves up
off the sofa to pour their own juice, be
rewarded with a trip to Burger King?)
inept
(adj.) not suitable or capable,
unqualified (She proved how inept
she was when she forgot two orders
and spilled a pint of cider in a
customers lap.)
(adj.) separated and narrow-minded;

tight-knit, closed off
(Because of the sensitive nature of
their jobs, those who work for MI5
must remain insular and generally
only spend time with each other.)
intrepid
(adj.) brave in the face of danger
(After scaling a live volcano prior to
its eruption, the explorer was praised
for his intrepid attitude.)
inveterate
infamy
(n.) notoriety, extreme ill repute
(The infamy of his crime will not
lessen as time passes.)
42 | P a g e
(adj.) stubbornly established by habit

(Im the first to admit that Im an
inveterate cider drinkerI drink four
pints a day.)
ju
bi
meticulous
la
(adj.) extremely careful with details
(The ornate needlework in the brides
nt
gown was a product of meticulous
jubilant
(adj.) extremely joyful, happy
(The crowd was jubilant when the
firefighter carried the woman from the
flaming building.)
handiwork.)
knell
modicum
(n.) the solemn sound of a bell, often

indicating a death
(Echoing throughout our village, the
funeral knell made the grey day even
more grim.)
(n.) a small amount of something

(Refusing to display even a modicum
of sensitivity, Magda announced her
bosss affair to the entire office.)
lithe
(adj.) graceful, flexible, supple
(Although the dancers were all
outstanding, Joannas control of her
lithe body was particularly
impressive.)
lurid
(adj.) ghastly, sensational
(Barrys story, in which he described
a character torturing his neighbour's
tortoise, was judged too lurid to be
published on the English Library's
website.)
maverick
(n.) an independent, nonconformist
person (John is a real maverick and
always does things his own way.)
maxim
(n.) a common saying expressing a
principle of conduct
(Ms. Stones etiquette maxims are
both entertaining and instructional.)
morose
(adj.) gloomy or sullen
(Davids morose nature made him
very unpleasant to talk to.)
myriad
(adj.) consisting of a very great
number
(It was difficult to decide what to do
on Saturday night because the city
presented us with myriad possibilities
for fun.)
nadir
(n.) the lowest point of something
(My day was boring, but the nadir
came when my new car was stolen.)
nominal
(adj.) trifling, insignificant
(Because he was moving the
following week and needed to get rid
of his furniture more than he needed
money, Kim sold everything for a
nominal price.)
43 | P a g e

n
o
novice
panacea
vi
(n.) a beginner, someone without
(n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties
training or experience
(Doctors wish there was a single
c we were all novices at
(Because
panacea for every disease, but sadly
archery, our instructor decided to
there is not.)
e with the basics
begin
nuance
(n.) a slight variation in meaning,
tone, expression
(The nuances of the poem were not
obvious to the casual reader, but the
teacher was able to point them out.)
oblivious
(adj.) lacking consciousness or
awareness of something
(Oblivious to the burning smell
emanating from the kitchen, my
father did not notice that the rolls in
the oven were burned until much too
late.)
obsequious
(adj.) excessively compliant or
submissive (Donald acted like
Susans servant, obeying her every
request in an obsequious manner.)
obtuse
(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility
or intellect
(Political opponents warned that the
prime ministers obtuse approach to
foreign policy would embroil the
nation in mindless war.)
44 | P a g e
parody
(n.) a satirical imitation
(A hush fell over the classroom when
the teacher returned to find
Magdalena acting out a parody of his
teaching style.)
penchant
(n.) a tendency, partiality, preference
(Fionas dinner parties quickly
became monotonous on account of
her penchant for Indian dishes.)
perusal
(n.) a careful examination, review
(The actor agreed to accept the role
after a three-month perusal of the
movie script.)
plethora
(n.) an abundance, excess
(The wedding banquet included a
plethora of oysters piled almost three
feet high.)
predilection
(n.) a preference or inclination for
something (James has a predilection
for eating toad in the whole with
tomato ketchup.)
q
u
serendipity
ai
(n.) luck, finding good things without
looking for them
(In an amazing bit of serendipity,nt
quaint
(adj.) charmingly old-fashioned
(Mary was delighted by the quaint
bonnets she saw in Romania.)
penniless Mark found a $50 bill on

the back seat of the bus.)
rash
(adj.) hasty, incautious
(Its best to think things over calmly
and thoroughly, rather than make
rash decisions.)
staid
(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained
(The staid butler never changed his
expression no matter what
happened.)
refurbish
(v.) to restore, clean up
(After being refurbished the old
Triumph motorcycle commanded the
handsome price of $6000.)
superfluous
(adj.) exceeding what is necessary
(Samantha had already won the
campaign so her constant flattery of
others was superfluous.)
repudiate
(v.) to reject, refuse to accept
(Tom made a strong case for an
extension of his curfew, but his
mother repudiated it with a few biting
words.)
sycophant
(n.) one who flatters for self-gain
(Some see the people in the cabinet
as the Prime Ministers closest
advisors, but others see them as
sycophants.)
rife
(adj.) abundant
(Surprisingly, the teachers writing
was rife with spelling errors.)
taciturn
(adj.) not inclined to talk
(Though Magda never seems to stop
talking, her brother is quite taciturn.)
salient
(adj.) significant, conspicuous
(One of the salient differences
between Alison and Helen is that
Alison is a couple of kilos heavier.)
truculent
(adj.) ready to fight, cruel
(This club doesnt really attract the
dangerous types, so why was that
bouncer being so truculent?)
45 | P a g e
Section 2 | 100 English Vocabulary building

u
m
umbrage
brresentment, offence
(n.)
(He called me a lily-livered coward,
aI took umbrage at the insult.)
and
g
venerable
e
words
(adj.) deserving of respect because

of age or achievement
(The venerable High Court judge had
made several key rulings in landmark
cases throughout the years.)
vex
(v.) to confuse or annoy
(My boyfriend vexes me by pinching
my bottom for hours on end.)
vociferous
(adj.) loud, boisterous
(Im tired of his vociferous whining so
Im breaking up with him.)
wanton
(adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful
(Joannas wanton demeanor often
made the frat guys next door very
excited.)
zenith
(n.) the highest point, culminating
point
(I was too nice to tell Emily that she
had reached the absolute zenith of
her career with that one top 10 hit of
hers.)
46 | P a g e
Section 3:
Word
synonyms and
antonyms
47 | P a g e
Section 3 | Word synonyms and antonyms

Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjacent
Nearby, neighbouring
Faraway, distant, remote
Alight
Dismount, descend, land
Mount, ascend, board
Alliance
Pact, league, coalition
Rift, split
Anecdote
Tale, story, sketch,

vignette
Appurtenances
Animated
Energetic, vigorous
Dull, lifeless, dead, flat
Answer
Question
Respond
Available
Obtainable, at hand
Unobtainable, not to be had
Barren
Unproductive, sterile, arid
Fertile, productive, fruitful
Bewilder
Baffle, perplex
Set straight, enlighten
Buffoon
Jester, fool
Tragedian
Cater
Pamper, indulge, provide
Frustrate, deny, refuse
Consolidate
Strengthen, firm up,

merge
Scatter, disperse, dissipate
Controversial
Arguable, debatable
Undisputed
Counterfeit
False, phony, bogus
Genuine, real, authentic
Culminate
Conclude, terminate
Begin, initiate, commence
Customary
Regular, normal,
traditional
Strange, odd, unusual
Disrupt
Upset, displace, disorder
Organize, arrange
48 | P a g e

Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Dissuade
Discourage, talk out of
Persuade, talk into
Docile
Manageable, teachable
Unruly, wayward, disobedient
Dominate
Control, govern, overlook
Surrender
Drone
Bum, do-nothing
Hard worker, workaholic
Dry
Arid
Wet
Dynasty
Ruling house, regime
Democracy
Entreat
Plead, beseech
Clamour for
Fallible
Imperfect, errant
Fool proof, unfailing, flawless
Fickle
Capricious, faithless
Constant, steady, invariable
Firebrand
Hothead, agitator
Pacifier, conciliator
Foe
Enemy
Friend
Foggy
Hazy
Clear
Foretaste
Preview, anticipation
Progeny
Fruitless
Useless, unproductive,
futile
Productive, effective
Fugitive
Runaway, deserter,
elusive
Lasting, enduring, permanent
Gaudy
Understated
Garish
Germinate
Sprout, shoot up, grow
Wither, die, stagnate
49 | P a g e

Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Goad
Prod, spur-on, incite
Curb, check, restrain
Grimy
Filthy, sooty, soiled
Spotless, immaculate
Hazard
Danger
Protection
Homicide
Manslaughter, murder
Birth
Hostile
None
Friendly, cordial, peaceful
Humdrum
Uneventful, boring
Lively, exciting, thrilling
Hurtle
Speed, fly, race, catapult
Crawl, creep
Indifference
Apathy, unconcern
Interest, concern, enthusiasm
Indignant
Offended, resentful,
outraged,
Pleased, delighted, overjoyed
Indispensable
Essential, vital, concern
Unnecessary, nonessential
Indulge
Oblige, humour, coddle
Deny, refuse
Inflammable
Combustible, excitable
Fireproof, fire-resistant, calm
Inflict
Deal out, visit upon
Suffer, undergo, sustain
Insinuate
Imply, intimate
Barge in, broadcast
Interminable
Never-ending, ceaseless
Brief, short, fleeting
Interrogate
Question, query
Respond
Iota
Speck, dab, jot, bit,

smidgen
Flood, deluge, glut
50 | P a g e

Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Literate
Educated, trained
Unschooled, ignorant
Lose
Misplace
Find
Lubricate
Oil, grease
Dry
Lustre
Gloss, sheen, shine
Tarnish, dullness
Malignant
Lethal, wicked
Wholesome, beneficial
Maul
Rough up, manhandle,

batter
Guard
Miscellaneous
Varied, assorted, motley
Identical, uniform
Mortify
Humiliate, embarrass,
abash
Honour
Mutual
Two-sided, joint, shared
One-sided, unilateral
Orthodox
Traditional, standard
Unusual, uncongenial
Peevish
Crabby, cranky, testy
Agreeable, amiable
Pelt
Bombard, shower,
pepper
Damp, dew
Plague
Epidemic, pestilence
Boon, blessing
Poised
Self-confident, ready
Nervous, tense
Potential
Possibility, capability
Actual, real, impossible
Procure
Gain, acquire, achieve
Abandon, lose
Radiant
Glowing, brilliant,
dazzling
Dull, tarnished, lacklustre
51 | P a g e

Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Recompense
Repay
Receive
Regime
Administration, rule
Commotion
Renovate
Repair, fix up, recondition
Annihilate
Resume
Continue
Stop
Retard
Slow down, restrain,

impede
Hasten, speed up
Rural
Countrified, rustic
Urban, metropolitan, citified
Scurry
Rush, dash, scramble
Trudge, plod, creep, crawl
Seethe
Peaceful
Chaotic
Singe
Scorch, scar, sear
Incinerate
Sodden
Drenched, saturated
Parched, arid
Spirited
Lively, animated, gallant
Lifeless, dull, lacklustre
Substantial
Considerable, tangible,
big
Minor, insignificant
Sullen
Grumpy, surly, remote
Cheerful, blithe, sociable
Tactful
Skilful, diplomatic,
discreet
Clumsy, gauche, boorish
Tamper
Fool with, mess with
Expound, smother
Thrilled
Excited
Depressed
Transparent
Clear, translucent,
obvious
Frosted, sooty, smoky, unclear
52 | P a g e

Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Trickle
Dribble, drizzle, drip
Rush, pour, flood
Trivial
Insignificant, petty, trifling
Important, weighty
Truce
Cease-fire, armistice
War, warfare, fighting
Ultimate
Farthest, furthest,
terminal
First, initial, most immediate
Uncertainty
Doubtfulness, hesitation
Sureness, certainty
Unique
Unparalleled, distinctive
Ordinary, commonplace
Unscathed
Unhurt, sound, intact
Injured, damaged, harmed
Upright
Perpendicular, virtuous
Dishonest, corrupt
Verify
Prove, validate,
substantiate
Disprove, refute, discredit
Vicious
Wicked, malicious,
savage
Good, kind, kindly, harmless
Virtual
Functioning as,
equivalent to
Factual, real
Void
Invalid, vacant, bare
In effect, teeming with
Wayward
Perverse
Docile, well-behaved
Wince
Flinch, shudder, recoil
Languish
Zenith
Acme, apogee, pinnacle
Nadir
53 | P a g e
Section 4:
Word Families
54 | P a g e
Section 4 | Word Families

Words
Families
ack
attack, back, black, crack, hack, hack, knack, lack, pack, quack, rack,
sack
ad
ad, bad, brad, cad, clad, dad, doodad, glad, had, lad, mad, pad
age
age, cage, engage, rage, sage, stage, wage
ail
ail, fail, hail, jail, mail, nail, pail, rail, sail, snail, tail, wail
ain
brain, chain, complain, explain, gain, grain, main, obtain, pain, plain,
rain, slain
ake
awake, bake, brake, cake, fake, flake, Jake, lake, make, quake, rake,
sake
ale
ale, bale, dale, gale, kale, male, pale, sale, scale, stale, tale, whale
all
all, ball, call, fall, gall, hall, install, mall, small, squall, stall, tall
am
cam, clam, dam, dram, exam, gram, ham, jam, lam, ma'am, Pam, ram
ame
blame, came, fame, flame, frame, game, lame, name, same, shame,
tame, tame
an
an, ban, bran, can, clan, Dan, fan, flan, Fran, Jan, Japan, man
ank
bank, blank, crank, dank, drank, flank, frank, Hank, plank, prank, rank,
sank
ap
cap, clap, flap, gap, lap, map, nap, rap, sap, scrap, slap, snap
ar
afar, bar, car, czar, far, gar, guitar, jar, mar, par, scar, spar
ash
ash, bash, brash, cash, clash, crash, dash, flash, gash, gnash, hash,
lash
at
at, bat, brat, cat, chat, fat, flat, gnat, hat, mat, pat, rat
55 | P a g e

Words
ate
aw
ay
eat
eel
eep
eet
ell
en
ent
est
ice
ick
ide
ife
ight
ile
Families
abate, ate, crate, date, debate, fate, gate, grate, hate, Kate,
late, mate
caw, claw, draw, flaw, gnaw, jaw, law, paw, raw, saw,
slaw, straw
away, bay, bray, clay, day, decay, delay, display, flay, gay,
gray, hay
beat, cheat, cleat, eat, feat, greet, heat, meat, neat, peat,
pleat, seat
eel, feel, heel, keel, kneel, peel, reel, steel, wheel
beep, creep, deep, jeep, keep, peep, seep, sheep, sleep,
steep, sweep, weep
beet, feet, fleet, greet, meet, sheet, sleet, street, sweet,
tweet
bell, cell, dell, dwell, farewell, fell, hell, sell, shell, smell,
spell, swell
amen, Ben, children, den, fen, gentlemen, glen, Gwen,
hen, men, open, pen
accent, bent, cent, dent, event, gent, lent, rent, scent, sent,
spent, tent
best, chest, crest, jest, nest, pest, quest, rest, test, unrest,
vest, west
dice, ice, mice, nice, price, rice, slice, spice, splice, thrice,
twice, vice
brick, chick, click, flick, kick, lick, nick, pick, quick, Rick,
sick, slick
bride, decide, glide, hide, pride, ride, side, slide, stride,
tide, wide
fife, knife, life, strife, wife
bright, delight, fight, flight, fright, height, knight, light,
might, night, plight, right
bile, file, mile, Nile, pile, rile, smile, stile, tile, vile,
while,
56 | P a g e

Words
Families
ill
bill, chill, dill, drill, fill, frill, gill, grill, hill, ill, Jill, kill
in
bin, chin, din, fin, gin, grin, in, kin, pin, shin, skin, sin
ine
ing
ink
brine, decline, define, dine, fine, line, mine, nine, pine,

shine, shrine, sine
bring, cling, fling, king, ping, ring, sing, sling, spring,
sting, string, swing
blink, brink, drink, fink, ink, link, mink, pink, rink, shrink,
sink, stink
ip
blip, chip, dip, drip, flip, grip, hip, lip, nip, quip, rip, ship
it
admit, bit, fit, flit, grit, hit, it, kit, knit, lit, mit, pit
oat
boat, coat, float, gloat, goat, oat, stoat, throat
ock
og
block, clock, cock, crock, dock, flock, frock, hock, jock,

knock, lock, mock
blog, bog, catalog, clog, cog, dog, fog, frog, hog, jog, log,
slog
oil
boil, broil, coil, foil, oil, soil, spoil, toil
oke
awoke, bloke, broke, choke, joke, poke, smoke, spoke,

stoke, stroke, woke
oo
boo, coo, goo, igloo, moo, shoo, too, woo, zoo
ood
good, hood, stood, wood
ood
brood, food, mood
oof
goof, proof, roof, spoof
oof
hoof, woof
57 | P a g e

Words
ook
oom
Families
book, brook, cook, crook, hook, look, nook, rook, shook,

took,
bloom, boom, broom, doom, gloom, groom, loom, room,
zoom
ool
cool, drool, fool, pool, spool, stool, tool
oon
balloon, goon, loon, moon, noon, soon, spoon, swoon
oop
coop, droop, hoop, loop, scoop, snoop, stoop, troop
op
bop, chop, cop, crop, drop, flop, hop, lop, mop, plop, pop
ore
bore, chore, core, fore, gore, lore, pore, score, shore, sore,
spore, store, swore
orn
adorn, born, corn, forlorn, horn, morn, thorn, torn, worn
ot
apricot, blot, bot, clot, cot, dot, hot, jot, knot, lot, not, plot,
pot
ought
bought, brought, fought, ought, sought, thought
ould
could, should, would
ouse
douse, grouse, house, louse, mouse, spouse
out
ow
own
uck
ug
about, bout, clout, gout, grout, out, scout, shout, snout,

spout, stout, tout, trout
bow, blow, crow, flow, glow, grow, row, show, slow,
snow, sow, stow, throw
brown, crown, down, drown, frown, gown
buck, chuck, cluck, duck, luck, muck, stuck, struck, truck,
tuck, yuck
bug, dug, hug, jug, lug, mug, rug, shrug, smug, snug, thug,
tug
58 | P a g e

Words
Families
ump
bump, clump, dump, grump, hump, jump, pump, rump,

slump, stump, thump, trump
un
bun, fun, gun, nun, pun, run, stun, sun
unk
bunk, chunk, drunk, dunk, flunk, funk, lunk, plunk, punk,

skunk, slunk, spunk, sunk
59 | P a g e

Words
Families
References
http://thesaurus.com/browse/synonymous
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/opp
osites.shtml
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/meetword-families
http://www.uefap.com/vocab/select/awl.htm
https://www.learnenglish.org.uk/wff/index.html
https://archive.org/details/standardelectri00sloa
http://www.chriselectricalservice.com/Electrical_Dictionary_.html
http://eeame.com/portal/
http://www.abebooks.com/booksearch/title/hawkins-electrical-dictionary/
60 | P a g e

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General Handbook

Section 1: Electrical Engineering Jargons.....

Section 2: 100 English Vocabulary building words.....

Section 3: Word synonyms and antonyms..... 47

Section 4: Word Families... 54

General Handbook for Electrical Engineers

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons

A register in the CPU (processor) that

An imperfection of an optical system

A transducer that converts electrical,

Process that dissipates energy and

A periodic current the average value

A systematic and precise, step-bystep procedure (such as a recipe, a

A unique identier for the place

General Handbook for Electrical Engineers

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons

An instrument for measuring electric

A process often used in

A circuit element that has a linear

A device used to couple energy from

Descriptor of the strength of a wave

The positive electrode of a device.

A piece of data given to a hardware

General Handbook for Electrical Engineers

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons

A binary code comprised of seven

The conducting portion of a nerve

General Handbook for Electrical Engineers

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons

The signaling rate, or rate of state

The fundamental unit of information

General Handbook for Electrical Engineers

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons

elements are transferred within a

The procedure of characterizing the

General Handbook for Electrical Engineers

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons

Overow signal that occurs when the

A basic physical quantity that is a

The area serviced by one base

A physical device consisting of an

Inverse Fourier transform of the

The process of xing either the

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons

A transmission line formed by two

A system block added to an existing

General Handbook for Electrical Engineers

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons

A pipe through which an electrical

The ow of charge, measured in

General Handbook for Electrical Engineers

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons

To remove errors from hardware or

A region of a semiconductor into

A two-terminal device that permits

General Handbook for Electrical Engineers

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons

paths between brushes is double that

The ratio of the turn-on time of a

A photoresist with an added non

A term used to describe any of a

General Handbook for Electrical Engineers

Section 1 | Electrical Engineering Jargons