What is "circuit breaker"

circuit breaker \cir"cuit break"er\, n. (Elec.) A device contained within an electrical circuit designed to interrupt the circuit when the current exceeds a preset value; it is sometimes called a contact breaker. Its function is to prevent fire or damage to the circuit or the devices on the circuit which could be caused by excess current, such as that caused by a short-circuit. It differs from a fuse in not having a conducting element which melts (see 2nd fuse, n.). Circuit breakers are designed to be easily reset, i. e. to reclose the circuit after it has been opened by the circuit breaker; this is usually accomplished by simply moving a switch back and forth. They are commonly used in buildings to protect individual electrical lines, and are often contained in groups within a box called a circuit breaker panel, which divides the current from a main electrical line into multiple circuits each protected by a separate circuit breaker. Less commonly they may be found on individual devices.

n. (context electrical engineering English) An electrical switch capable of opening and closing an electrical circuit in all operating conditions, including fault situations.

n. a device that trips like a switch and opens the circuit when overloaded [syn: breaker]

A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overcurrent or overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to interrupt current flow after protective relays detect a fault. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then must be replaced, a circuit breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to resume normal operation. Circuit breakers are made in varying sizes, from small devices that protect an individual household appliance up to large switchgear designed to protect high voltage circuits feeding an entire city. The generic function of a circuit breaker, RCD or a fuse, as an automatic means of removing power from a faulty system is often abbreviated to ADS (Automatic Disconnection of Supply).

Circuit Breaker (also known as Circuit-Smasher and the Emulator) is a fictional comic book character originally from the 1980s Marvel Comics Transformers series.

A circuit breaker is an automatic electrical switch.

Circuit breaker or circuit breakers may also refer to:

• Circuit Breaker (Transformers), a Marvel Comics character
• Trading curb or circuit breaker, a stock market term
• Richie Hawtin (born 1970) alias Circuit breaker, an electronic musician and DJ
• "Circuit breaker", a song Röyksopp's album The Understanding
• Circuit breaker design pattern design pattern in programming
• Circuit Breakers (video game), a 1998 racing video game