Barretter

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  barretter \bar"ret*ter\, n. [OF. bareter to exchange. Cf.
     {Barter}.]
     1. (Electronics) a resistor inserted into a circuit to
        compensate for changes (such as those arising from
        temperature fluctuations); a thermal cymoscope.
  


     Syn: ballast resistor.
          [Webster 1913 Suppl. + WordNet 1.5]
  
     Note: The original form consisted of an extremely fine
           platinum wire loop attached to terminals and inclosed
           in a small glass or silver bulb. It operates by
           increased resistance when subjected to the influence of
           an electric current. In a later variety, called the
  
     {liquid barretter}, wire is replace by a column of liquid in
        a very fine capillary tube. A recent version has a
        resistor composed of an iron wire in a glass bulb
        containing hydrogen, with the temperature variation of
        resistance such that the current passing through it
        remains constant over a wide range of applied voltages.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl. + PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  barretter
       n : a resistor inserted into a circuit to compensate for changes
           (as those arising from temperature fluctuations) [syn: {ballast
           resistor}, {ballast}]