triboelectricity

[ trahy-boh-i-lek-tris-i-tee, -ee-lek-, trib-oh- ]

noun

, Electricity.

1. electricity generated by friction.

triboelectricity

/ -ˌiːlɛk-; ˌtraɪbəʊɪlɛkˈtrɪsɪtɪ /

noun

1. static electricity generated by friction Also calledfrictional electricity

triboelectricity

/ trī′bō-ĭ-lĕk-trĭs′ĭ-tē,trĭb′ō- /

1. An electrical charge produced by friction between two objects that are nonconductive. Rubbing glass with fur, or a comb through the hair, can built up triboelectricity. Most everyday static electricity is triboelectric.

Derived Forms

• ˌtriboeˈlectric, adjective

Other Words From

• tri·bo·e·lec·tric [trahy-boh-i-, lek, -trik, trib-oh-], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of triboelectricity¹

First recorded in 1915–20; tribo- + electricity

Example Sentences

One promising class of devices works by generating triboelectricity, also known as static electricity.

From Nature

This process, known as triboelectricity, is the same reason that you can rub a balloon on your head and marvel as it sticks there, hands-free.

From New York Times

“The more I work with triboelectricity, the more exciting it gets, and the more applications it might have,” says nanotechnologist Zhong Lin Wang of Georgia Tech.

From Washington Post

When two different materials repeatedly collide with, or rub against, one another, the surface of one material can steal electrons from the other, accumulating a charge, a phenomenon known as triboelectricity.

From Washington Post

Nearly all materials, both natural and synthetic, are capable of creating triboelectricity, giving researchers a wide range of choices for designing gadgets.

From Washington Post