photovoltaic
photovoltaic Lexical Profile
photovoltaic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to the production of electric current at the junction of two substances exposed to light, or to technologies that convert sunlight directly into electricity.
"The university installed photovoltaic panels across the roof of the science building to reduce its carbon footprint."
• noun
A solar cell, panel, or device capable of converting light directly into electrical energy.
"Modern rooftop photovoltaics have become much more affordable for average homeowners over the past decade."
The branch of science and engineering concerned with the conversion of light into electricity using semiconductor materials (usually used in the plural form 'photovoltaics').
"She earned her doctorate in materials science with a specialization in thin-film photovoltaics."
• Rhymes for photovoltaic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the mid-19th century by combining the Ancient Greek prefix photo- ('light') with voltaic, which honors the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827), the inventor of the electric battery.