Adjacent Words

Energy definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EN'ERGY, n. [Gr. work.]
1. Internal or inherent power; the power of operating, whether exerted or not; as men possessing energies sometimes suffer them to lie inactive. Danger will rouse the dormant energies of our natures into action.
2. Power exerted; vigorous operation; force; vigor. God, by his Almighty energy, called the universe into existence. The administration of the laws requires energy in the magistrate.
3. Effectual operation; efficacy; strength or force producing the effect.
Beg the blessed Jesus to give an energy to your imperfect prayers, by his most powerful intercession.
4. Strength of expression; force of utterance; life; spirit; emphasis. The language of Lord Chatham is remarkable for its energy.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: (physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs; "energy can take a wide variety of forms" [syn: energy, free energy]
2: forceful exertion; "he plays tennis with great energy"; "he's full of zip" [syn: energy, vigor, vigour, zip]
3: enterprising or ambitious drive; "Europeans often laugh at American energy" [syn: energy, push, get-up-and-go]
4: an imaginative lively style (especially style of writing); "his writing conveys great energy"; "a remarkable muscularity of style" [syn: energy, muscularity, vigor, vigour, vim]
5: a healthy capacity for vigorous activity; "jogging works off my excess energy"; "he seemed full of vim and vigor" [syn: energy, vim, vitality]
6: any source of usable power; "the DOE is responsible for maintaining the energy policy"
7: the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States; created in 1977 [syn: Department of Energy, Energy Department, Energy, DOE]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -gies) Etymology: Late Latin energia, from Greek energeia activity, from energos active, from en in + ergon work — more at work Date: 1599 1. a. dynamic quality <narrative energy> b. the capacity of acting or being active <intellectual energy> c. a usually positive spiritual force <the energy flowing through all people> 2. vigorous exertion of power ; effort <investing time and energy> 3. a fundamental entity of nature that is transferred between parts of a system in the production of physical change within the system and usually regarded as the capacity for doing work 4. usable power (as heat or electricity); also the resources for producing such power Synonyms: see power

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 force, vigour; capacity for activity. 2 (in pl.) individual powers in use (devote your energies to this). 3 Physics the capacity of matter or radiation to do work. 4 the means of doing work by utilizing matter or radiation. Etymology: F énergie or LL energia f. Gk energeia f. ergon work

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Energy En"er*gy, n.; pl. Energies. [F. ['e]nergie, LL. energia, fr. Gr.?, fr. ? active; ? in + ? work. See In, and Work.] 1. Internal or inherent power; capacity of acting, operating, or producing an effect, whether exerted or not; as, men possessing energies may suffer them to lie inactive. The great energies of nature are known to us only by their effects. --Paley. 2. Power efficiently and forcibly exerted; vigorous or effectual operation; as, the energy of a magistrate. 3. Strength of expression; force of utterance; power to impress the mind and arouse the feelings; life; spirit; -- said of speech, language, words, style; as, a style full of energy. 4. (Physics) Capacity for performing work. Note: The kinetic energy of a body is the energy it has in virtue of being in motion. It is measured by one half of the product of the mass of each element of the body multiplied by the square of the velocity of the element, relative to some given body or point. The available kinetic energy of a material system unconnected with any other system is that energy which is due to the motions of the parts of the system relative to its center of mass. The potential energy of a body or system is that energy which is not kinetic; -- energy due to configuration. Kinetic energy is sometimes called actual energy. Kinetic energy is exemplified in the vis viva of moving bodies, in heat, electric currents, etc.; potential energy, in a bent spring, or a body suspended a given distance above the earth and acted on by gravity.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(energies) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Energy is the ability and strength to do active physical things and the feeling that you are full of physical power and life. He was saving his energy for next week's race in Belgium... 2. Energy is determination and enthusiasm about doing things. You have drive and energy for those things you are interested in. [approval] 3. Your energies are your efforts and attention, which you can direct towards a particular aim. She had started to devote her energies to teaching rather than performing... N-COUNT: usu pl, poss N 4. Energy is the power from sources such as electricity and coal that makes machines work or provides heat. ...those who favour nuclear energy... Oil shortages have brought on an energy crisis... N-UNCOUNT: oft N n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Force, power, might, efficacy, potency, efficiency, strength, activity, intensity. 2. Spirit, spiritedness, animation, life, vigor, manliness, zeal, pluck, bottom, animal spirits. 3. (Mech.) Capacity of work, mechanical value, vis viva.

Moby Thesaurus

activity, amperage, animation, application, ardor, armipotence, assiduity, assiduousness, authority, beef, birr, black power, breeziness, briskness, brute force, bubbliness, charge, charisma, clout, cogence, cogency, compulsion, concentration, dash, decisiveness, determination, diligence, dint, drive, duress, dynamism, ebullience, effect, effectiveness, effectuality, effervescence, efficacy, effort, elan, elbow grease, endeavor, endurance, energeticalness, exertion, fervor, flower power, force, force majeure, forcefulness, fortitude, full blast, full force, get-up-and-go, go, guts, gutsiness, hard pull, hardihood, hardiness, heartiness, indefatigability, industriousness, industry, influence, intensity, intestinal fortitude, laboriousness, life, liveliness, long pull, lustihood, lustiness, main force, main strength, mana, might, might and main, mightiness, moxie, muscle, muscle power, nerve and sinew, obstinacy, pains, pep, peppiness, piss and vinegar, pizzazz, poop, potence, potency, potentiality, power, power pack, power structure, power struggle, powerfulness, prepotency, productiveness, productivity, puissance, pull, punch, push, relentlessness, robustness, ruggedness, sedulity, sedulousness, sinew, spirit, spiritedness, sprightliness, stalwartness, stamina, staying power, steam, sticking power, stoutness, strength, strength of will, strenuousness, strong arm, sturdiness, superiority, superpower, tirelessness, toughness, trouble, tuck, unsparingness, validity, vehemence, verve, vigor, vigorousness, vim, virility, virtue, virulence, vitality, vivaciousness, vivacity, wattage, weight, zealousness, zing, zip