Tesla coil

noun

variants or Tesla transformer

: an air-core transformer for high-frequency alternating or oscillating electrical currents

Examples of Tesla coil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a recent post on X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk talked about his company's namesake, but rather than a photo of the inventor, who died in 1943, Musk shared an image from a movie about the creator of the Tesla coil — and the actor portraying him in it chimed in about the mistake(?). —Christian Holub, EW.com, 30 Dec. 2024

Just for fun, here's a demonstration of electric and magnetic forces using a Tesla coil and a Crooke's tube. —Rhett Allain, WIRED, 27 Sep. 2024

At the top there’s Griffith Observatory, where a Tesla coil spits electricity and telescope demonstrator Todd Kunioka guides visitors through the cosmos. —Helen Li, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2024

Later, partygoers will take turns standing inside a Faraday cage as a Tesla coil sparks before them like crazy. —Cathy Alter, WIRED, 27 Aug. 2023

Tesla was a renowned Serbian-American inventor who created the Tesla coil, engineered the first hydroelectric plant, pioneered the use of the alternating current, and laid the foundation for our modern power grid, among countless other inventions and scientific contributions. —Jessica Coulon, Popular Mechanics, 14 June 2023

Pulses arc at random from Tesla coils submerged in a pool of mineral oil, zapping at the bulbs from below. —Travis Diehl, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2023

Fascinated by inventor Nikola Tesla and his innovation of alternating current electricity, Asher Suderow decided to build a Tesla coil himself, and persuaded his dad and grandfather to help. —Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 21 Sep. 2022

His Tesla coil still shapes modern innovation. —Tim Grierson, Popular Mechanics, 11 Aug. 2020

Word History

Etymology

after Nikola Tesla †1943 American (Croatian-born) electrician and inventor

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Tesla coil

• aerofoil
• cinquefoil
• hydrofoil
• quatrefoil
• airfoil
• benzoyl
• despoil
• embroil
• etoile
• gargoyle
• recoil
• subsoil