voltaic pile en · NOUN
Etymology
Invented by Italian chemist Alessandro Volta.
Meanings
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(historical) The earliest electrical battery that could continuously provide an electric current to a circuit.
She seemed molded from fire and air, and vivified at some Voltaic pile of August thunder-clouds heaped against the sunset.
1852, Herman Melville, Pierre; or The Ambiguities:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voltaic pile | alternative | lexicographic | |
| voltaic piles | Number=Plur | lexicographic |