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Fig.: A violent or rapid flow; a strong current; a flood; as, a torrent of vices; a torrent of eloquence. At length, Erasmus, that great injured name, . . . Stemmed the wild torrent of a barbarous age. Pope.

A galvanometer in which current is measured by torsion.

at which, transforms. Specif. (Elec.), an apparatus for producing from a given electrical current another current of different voltage.

Transparent; clear. [Poetic] "Fountain or fresh current . . . translucent, pure." Milton. Replenished from the cool, translucent springs. Pope.

A door in a level for regulating the ventilating current; -- called also weather door. Raymond. Trapdoor spider (Zoöl.), any one of several species of large spiders which make a nest consisting of a vertical hole in the earth, lined with a hinged lid, like a trapdoor. Most of the species belong to the genus Cteniza, as…

Of the value of three oboli; hence, mean; worthless. [Obs.] It may pass current . . . for a triobolar ballad. Cheyne.

A motor car to which the current is conveyed by means of a trolley.

A heavy conducting wire on which the trolley car runs and from which it receives the current.

hing that surrounds or incloses; to let loose; to open. [Obs.] I ought . . . to unbay the current of my passion. Norris.

generally in composition with a noun, and written with or without the hyphen; as, an undercurrent; undertone; underdose; under-garment; underofficer; undersheriff. Under covert (Zoöl.), one of the feathers situated beneath the bases of the quills in the wings and tail of a bird. See Illust. under Bird.…

A switch which opens a circuit when the current falls below a certain predetermined value, used to protect certain types of motors from running at excessive speed upon decrease of load.

Undercurrent.

The current that sets seaward near the bottom when waves are breaking upon the shore.

To do work for a less price than current rates.

Toward the higher part of a stream; against the current.

death. This superstition is now prevalent in parts of Eastern Europe, and was especially current in Hungary about the year 1730. The persons who turn vampires are generally wizards, witches, suicides, and persons who have come to a violent end, or have been cursed by their parents or by the church, Encyc. Brit.…

A train of association, thoughts, emotions, or the like; a current; a course. He can open a vein of true and noble thinking. Swift.

ess. Verbiage may indicate observation, but not thinking. W. Irving. This barren verbiage current among men. Tennyson.

A vibrating reed for transmitting or receiving pulsating currents in a harmonic telegraph system. (3)

ough the air upon wings, or as if upon wings; flying; hence, passing from place to place; current. English silver now was current, and our gold volant in the pope's court. Fuller.