- 1 the movement of water in the sea or a river; the movement of air in a particular direction He swam to the shore against a strong current. Birds use warm air currents to help their flight. Wordfinderriverbend, course, current, dam, downstream, estuary, river, source, tributary, waterfall Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivewarm, air, wind, … phrasesa current of air See full entry See related entries: Rivers and lakes, Coastlines and the sea, Travelling by boat or ship
- 2 the flow of electricity through a wire, etc. a 15 amp electrical current see also AC, DC Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivehigh, strong, low, … verb + currentgenerate, induce, produce, … current + verbflow, pass through something See full entry See related entries: Electronics
- 3the fact of particular ideas, opinions or feelings being present in a group of people Ministers are worried by this current of anti-government feeling. Word OriginMiddle English (in the adjective sense ‘running, flowing’): from Old French corant ‘running’, from courre ‘run’, from Latin currere ‘run’.Extra examples Birds of prey use warm air currents to lift them high in the sky. Check all your wiring before switching on the current. He was swimming against the current. It’s easier to go with the current. Measure the current flowing in the wire. She was swept away by the treacherous currents. The boat was carried along in the current. The prevailing current flows from east to west. Changes in ocean currents can have drastic effects on marine life. He leaped as though a powerful electric current had passed through him. He swam to the shore against a strong current.
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BrE BrE//ˈkʌrənt//; NAmE NAmE//ˈkɜːrənt//
Electronics, Rivers and lakes, Coastlines and the sea, Travelling by boat or shipCheck pronunciation: current
