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fuse1
—fuseless, adj. —fuselike, adj./fyoohz/, n., v., fused, fusing.n.1. a tube, cord, or the like, filled or saturated with combustible matter, for igniting an explosive.2. fuze (def. 1).3. have a short fuse, Informal. to anger easily; have a quick temper.v.t.4. fuze (def. 3).[1635-45; < It fuso < L fusus spindle]fuse2/fyoohz/, n., v., fused, fusing.n.1. Elect. a protective device, used in an electric circuit, containing a conductor that melts under heat produced by an excess current, thereby opening the circuit. Cf. circuit breaker.2. blow a fuse, Informal. to lose one's temper; become enraged: If I'm late again, they'll blow a fuse.v.t.3. to combine or blend by melting together; melt.4. to unite or blend into a whole, as if by melting together: The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.v.i.5. to become liquid under the action of heat; melt: At a relatively low temperature the metal will fuse.6. to become united or blended: The two groups fused to create one strong union.7. Chiefly Brit. to overload an electric circuit so as to burn out a fuse.[1675-85; < L fusus melted, poured, cast, ptp. of fundere]
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In electrical engineering, a safety device that protects electric circuits from the effects of excessive electric currents.A fuse commonly consists of a current-conducting strip or wire of easily fusible metal; whenever the circuit is made to carry a current larger than that for which it is intended, the strip melts to interrupt it.* * *
▪ electronic devicein electrical engineering, a safety device that protects electrical circuits from the effects of excessive currents. A fuse commonly consists of a current-conducting strip or wire of easily fusible metal that melts, and thus interrupts the circuit of which it is a part, whenever that circuit is made to carry a current larger than that for which it is intended. The screw-plug fuse was once commonly used in domestic electrical systems. It contains a short bit of wire (the fusible element) enclosed in a fireproof container that has a screw-threaded base; the wire is connected to metal terminals at both the screw base and at the side, and the whole is covered with a transparent glass or mica window for seeing whether the fuse has melted. The cartridge fuse, a type of fuse widely used in industry where high currents are involved, has a fusible element connected between metal terminals at either end of a cylindrical insulating tube.▪ ignition devicealso spelled Fuze,in explosives (explosive) technology, device for firing explosives in blasting operations, in fireworks, and in military projectiles.The blasting safety fuse, employed to fire an explosive from a distance or after a delay, is a hollow cord filled with a mixture resembling black powder and designed to propagate burning at a slow and steady rate. The far end of the fuse is usually embedded in the explosive charge. Detonating cord, also called Cordeau and Primacord, is a hollow cord filled with an explosive material. It is fired by a detonator and is capable of initiating the detonation of certain other explosives at any number of points and in any desired pattern.The United States and some other military forces have adopted the “z” spelling for the device in ordnance munitions; the fuze sets off the munition, regulates its functioning, and causes it to perform only under predetermined conditions. It is distinct from the primer or firing pin that initiates the launching of a rocket or artillery shell. Impact fuzes function as they hit the target. Time fuzes delay the functioning for a certain period from the starting time. Command fuzes function on signal from a remote-control point. Proximity fuzes function when the munitions carrying them approach to within a given distance of the target. Inferential fuzes infer that a target is nearby if certain conditions are present.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
