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power
power
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
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2009
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© The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009, originally published by Oxford University Press 2009. (Hide copyright information)
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pow·er
/ ˈpou(-ə)r/
•
n.
1.
the ability to do something or act in a particular way, esp. as a faculty or quality:
the power of speech |
the power to raise the dead |
(powers)
his powers of concentration.
2.
the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events:
the idea that men should have power over women
she had me under her power.
∎
political or social authority or control, esp. that exercised by a government:
the party had been in power for eight years|
[as adj.]
a power struggle.
∎
a right or authority that is given or delegated to a person or body:
police do not have the power to stop and search
emergency powers.
∎
the military strength of a state:
the sea power of Venice.
∎
a state or country, esp. one viewed in terms of its international influence and military strength:
a great colonial power.
∎
a person or organization that is strong or influential within a particular context:
he was a power in the university.
∎
a supernatural being, deity, or force:
the powers of darkness.
∎ (powers)
(in traditional Christian angelology) the sixth highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy.
∎ [as adj.] inf.
denoting something associated with people who hold authority and influence, esp. in the context of business or politics:
a red power tie.
∎
used in the names of movements aiming to enhance the status of a specified group:
gay power.
3.
physical strength and force exerted by something or someone:
the power of the storm.
∎
capacity or performance of an engine or other device:
he applied full power.
∎
the capacity of something to affect the emotions or intellect strongly:
the lyrical power of his prose.
∎
[as adj.]
denoting a sports player, team, or style of play that makes use of power rather than finesse:
a power pitcher.
∎
the magnifying capacity of a lens.
4.
energy that is produced by mechanical, electrical, or other means and used to operate a device:
generating power from waste|
[as adj.]
power cables.
∎
electrical energy supplied to an area, building, etc.:
the power went off.
∎ [as adj.]
driven by such energy:
a power drill.
∎
[as adj.]
power-assisted:
power brakes.
∎
Physics
the time-rate of doing work, measured in watts or less frequently horsepower.
5.
Math.
the number of times a certain number is to be multiplied by itself:
2 to the power of 4 equals 16.
•
v.
1. [tr.]
supply (a device) with mechanical or electrical energy:
the car is powered by a fuel-injected 3.0-liter engine |
[as adj. in comb.] (-powered)
a nuclear-powered submarine.
∎ (power something up/down)
switch a device on or off:
the officer powered up the fighter's radar.
2. [intr.]
move or travel with great speed or force:
they powered past the dock toward the mouth of the creek.
∎ [tr.]
direct (something, esp. a ball) with great force:
Nicholas powered a header into the net.
PHRASES:
do someone/something a power of good inf.
be very beneficial to someone or something.
in the power of
under the control of:
a church ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit.
power behind the throne
a person or organization that exerts authority or influence without having formal status.
the powers that be
the authorities.
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President Obama Accepts Peace Prize
Transcript from: NPR All Things Considered; 12/10/2009; ; 700+ words
; ...that must be our work your honor. GONYEA: It was a speech but also a philosophical discussion, a rumination on the use of power and the military by a president wrestling with and justifying the difficult decisions his office requires. Don Gonyea, NPR...
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USING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE:ANEESH CHOPRA
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 12/10/2009; 700+ words
; ...and Associate Director for Technology in the Office of Science& Technology Policy, I am focused on harnessing the power and potentialof technology and innovation to execute on the President`s vision for a21st Century economy - one where jobs...
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DRINKING WATER:ROBYN PIERCE
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 12/10/2009; 700+ words
; ...10, 2009 In2001 our local utility company Dominion Virginia Power, orchestrated anaggressive campaign convincing area residents...Chesapeakebetween 1957 and 1974 fly ash from Dominions Yorktown Power generatingstation was disposed of in 4 abandoned sand and gravel...
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DRINKING WATER:MARY A. FOX, PHD, MPH
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 12/10/2009; 700+ words
; ...community health. Unfortunately, systematic healtheffects research in any one small community will have limitedstatistical power to detect changes in health outcomes.In absence of traditional epidemiological studies, human healthrisk assessment methods...
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DRINKING WATER:KEN LADWIG
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 12/10/2009; 700+ words
; ...Ladwig Senior Research Manager Electric Power ResearchInstitute Committee on House Energy...senior project managerat the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). EPRI is an...the environment for the global electric power industry. EPRI bringstogether scientists...
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PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA DELIVERS REMARKS ON ACCEPTANCE OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Transcript from: Washington Transcript Service; 12/10/2009; 700+ words
; ...which tribes and then civilizations sought power and settled their differences. And over...statesmen seek to regulatethe destructive power of war. The concept of a "just war...the defeat of theThird Reich and the Axis powers, World War II was a conflict in which...
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'Brothers': Family Ties, Unraveling In Wartime
Transcript from: NPR Fresh Air; 12/4/2009; ; 700+ words
; ...Parker and Donnie Darko could be so credibly messed up and volatile? Maguire isn't big physically, but his tautness radiates power. Responsibility is his mantra. When he's thrown in a pit with one of his men, he coldly orders the soldier to forget his...
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L.A. Philharmonic's Revolutionary New Conductor
Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 10/9/2009; ; 700+ words
; ...took the stage. (Soundbite of cheering, applause) JAFFE: When the cheering finally died down, the hype dissolved in the power of Beethoven's Ninth. (Soundbite of music, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony) JAFFE: Dudamel is just 28 years old and the...
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The Climate Conundrum Over Nuclear Energy
Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 12/11/2009; ; 700+ words
; ...more energy. RICHARD HARRIS: Nuclear power poses a major conundrum. Nobody's thrilled...hand, nuclear plants generate lots of power and very little carbon dioxide. And when...in the mix. Tom Terbush at the Electric Power Research Institute says his utility-funded...
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Despite Action, Spain's Carbon Footprint Increases
Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 12/10/2009; ; 700+ words
; ...electricity needs. Spain's investment in wind power was a bit more successful. (Soundbite...valley SOCOLOVSKY: An ad by the Spanish power company, Iberdrola, shows wind turbines...battled the windmills of La Mancha. Spanish power companies have invested heavily in renewables...
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SIC 2082 Malt Beverages
Encyclopedia entry from: Encyclopedia of American Industries
...revenues. Additionally, some state legislatures created their own Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agencies with rule-making power, and 32 states have allowed citizens to vote for or against the sale of liquor in various cities or counties. Background and...
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SIC 2421 Sawmills and Planing Mills, General
Encyclopedia entry from: Encyclopedia of American Industries
...on rivers, using running water as their power source. As railroads spread across the...it. With the shift from water to steam power, mills became larger and more complex...extended their useful lives. Electric power began to replace steam power in the early...
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SIC 2731 Book Publishing
Encyclopedia entry from: Encyclopedia of American Industries
...considered themselves to operate within "the publishing aspect of the communications industry." However, this concentration of power among relatively few publishers led to criticism regarding the quality and diversity of materials published. Industry observers...
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SIC 3052 Rubber and Plastics Hose and Belting
Encyclopedia entry from: Encyclopedia of American Industries
...Hoses are used in such varied markets as automobiles, construction, and oil and gas. Transmission belting is used to help power cars, industrial machinery, agricultural equipment, household appliances, and construction equipment. Flat belting, commonly...
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SIC 3331 Primary Smelting and Refining of Copper
Encyclopedia entry from: Encyclopedia of American Industries
...plumbing, with 16 percent of the market share; building wire, 14 percent; commercial refrigeration and air conditioning and power utilities; each 8 percent; automotive electrical, telecommunications, and in-plant equipment, each 7 percent; electronics...
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