A Fuse Protects a Circuit by Melting
A fuse is a safety device in an electrical circuit. It works by destroying itself.
A fuse is a safety device containing a wire that melts if too much current flows, and also a cord used to detonate an explosive. The electrical fuse is designed to fail: the wire is chosen so that it melts before anything else in the circuit is damaged, breaking the connection and stopping the current. A sacrificial part protects everything downstream. To fuse also means to join by melting, from Latin *fundere*, to pour, which gives *foundry* and *infusion*.
- An electrical safety device. *The fuse blew.*
- A detonating cord. *A slow fuse.*
- To join by melting. *Fused together.*
- Short fuse — quick to anger. *A short fuse.*
- Latin — *fundere*, to pour. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | fuse | A fuse. |
| Plural | fuses | Fuses. |
| Verb | fuse | Fusing. |
| Noun | fusion | Fusion. |
| Latin | fundere | To pour. |
- Replace the blown fuse.Electrical.
- He has a short fuse.Idiom.
- The metals fused at high heat.Joining.
Sacrificial parts
- Fuse — melts before the circuit is damaged
- Shear pin — breaks before a machine's gears do
- Crumple zone — deforms so the passenger cabin does not
- Sacrificial anode — corrodes so the hull does not
- All work by failing in a controlled, cheap way
Latin *fusus*, poured or melted, from *fundere*, to pour. The detonating cord is Italian *fuso*, a spindle.
How does an electrical fuse work?
Its wire melts when too much current flows, breaking the circuit before anything more expensive is damaged.
Is the detonating fuse the same word?
No. That comes from Italian fuso, a spindle, describing the shape of the cord.