power

Noun (1)

power (countable and uncountable, plural powers)

1. The ability to do or undergo something.
   • He has lost the power to speak.
   • On June 8, 1872, the London & North Western Railway obtained powers to quadruple its main line, and a new tunnel was bored for the up and down slow lines.1950 September, “Network News: Watford Tunnel, L.M.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 641

   Synonyms:

   kick

2. (social) The ability to coerce, influence, or control.
   • The proportion of female colleagues in the Hsinchu County Government and its affiliated units has reached 61%. “Women Power” is the power behind over half of the services provided by the county government.2022 March 8, “Magistrate Yang Wen-ke Sends Female Staff in Hsinchu County Government Roses for Their Contributions”, in HsinChu County Government, archived from the original on 19 Jul 2022
   1. (countable, social) The ability to affect or influence.
      • the power of the written word
      • An incident which happened about this time will set the characters of these two lads more fairly before the discerning reader than is in the power of the longest dissertation.1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume III, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book II
   2. (social) The ability or authority to control, govern, command, coerce, etc., such as in a legal, political or business sphere.
      • He's nominally president, but he does not have any real power.
      • “[…] That woman is stark mad, Lord Stranleigh. Her own father recognised it when he bereft her of all power in the great business he founded. […]”1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad
   3. (in plural, metonymically, social) The people in charge of legal or political power, the government.
   4. (metonymically, social) A strong or influential nation, company, or other such body.
      • In the 19th century, Britain and France were major colonial powers.
      • Britain is no longer the maritime power that it once was.
   5. (archaic, metonymically, social) An army, a military force.
      • The threatning words of duke Robert comming at the last to king Henries eares, caused him foorthwith to conceiue verie sore displeasure against the duke, in so much that he sent ouer a power of men into Normandie, which finding no great resistance, did much hurt in the countrie, by fetching and...1577, Raphaell Holinshed, The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, →OCLC
      • Then when our powers in points of ſwords are ioin’d
        And cloſde in compaſſe of the killing bullet,
        Though ſtraite the paſſage and the port be made,
        That leads to Pallace of my brothers life,
        Proud is his fortune if we pierce it not.c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
3. (physical) Physical force or strength.
   • He needed a lot of power to hit the ball out of the stadium.

   Synonyms:

   steam

4. (attributive, physical) Designating one who does something forcefully or on a large or grand scale.
   • She's a power shopper; she knows all the best deals.
   • This high-spec computer is ideal for power users.
5. (physical) The production or flow of energy providing means to do work; energy per time unit.
   • The power to haul the train is supplied by two huge locomotives.
6. (physical, specifically) Electricity or a supply of electricity.
   • After the pylons collapsed, this town was without power for a few days.
   • “My father had ideas about conservation long before the United States took it up.[…]You preserve water in times of flood and freshet to be used for power or for irrigation throughout the year. […]”1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad
7. (physical) The rate at which work is done or energy is transferred, expressed in units of energy per unit of time.
   • The kilowatt is a unit of power, equivalent to 1,000 joules of energy per second.
8. (physical) The strength by which a lens or mirror magnifies an optical image.
   • We need a microscope with higher power.
9. (colloquial, dated outside the phrase 'power of good') A large amount or number.
   • do a power of good
   • "I'm shure," said Jack, "sense your honour lives down undher the wather, you must be obleeged to dhrink a power to keep any hate in you, at all at all, in such a cruel, damp, cowld place."1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 530
10. Any of the elementary forms or parts of machines: three primary (the lever, inclined plane, and pulley) and three secondary (the wheel-and-axle, wedge, and screw).
    • the mechanical powers
11. (trucking) A tractor.
    • The set I'm making right now needs a power on it, but we don't have any tractors left in the yard.
12. A measure of the effectiveness that a force producing a physical effect has over time. If linear, the quotient of: (force multiplied by the displacement of or in an object) ÷ time. If rotational, the quotient of: (force multiplied by the angle of displacement) ÷ time.

Verb

power (third-person singular simple present powers, present participle powering, simple past and past participle powered)

1. (transitive) To provide power for (a mechanical or electronic device).
   • This CD player is powered by batteries.
2. (transitive) To hit or kick something forcefully.
   • United keeper Edwin van der Sar was the unlikely provider as his clearance found Rooney, who had got ahead of last defender Richard Dunne, and the forward brilliantly controlled a ball coming from over his shoulder before powering a shot past Brad Friedel.2011 February 1, Mandeep Sanghera, “Man Utd 3 - 1 Aston Villa”, in BBC
3. To enable or provide the impetus for.
   • Abdul Sattar Edhi came to Karachi as a poor man from an Indian village in 1947. Starting with a small pharmacy tent, his work rapidly expanded, powered by donations from ordinary citizens.2017 April 6, Samira Shackle, “On the frontline with Karachi’s ambulance drivers”, in the Guardian
4. (intransitive) To move or advance with great force or speed.
   • Playing with freedom and no fear, Ashleigh Barty has powered into the Australian Open third round without even a coach. Barty clubbed China’s Yafan Wang 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday before revealing she had been largely flying solo during her charge to the last 32 for only the second time.2019 January 16, “Ashleigh Barty loses coach but wins latest Australian Open encounter”, in The Guardian

Adjective

power (comparative more power, superlative most power)

1. (Malaysia, Singapore, colloquial) Impressive.
   • Check out the POWER Mee Rebus & Lontong in this newly established Nasi Padang coffee shop at Market Street Carpark.2001, Thian, Makan Time
   • Their performance is very the Power!2005, Bayya, Bayya Eats ... and Other Stuff

Interjection

1. (Philippines, colloquial) Used as a cheer to express support

Noun (2) capitalized: Power

Power (plural Powers)

1. A button of a computer, a video game console, or similar device, that when pressed, causes the device to be either shut down or powered up.

Proper noun capitalized: Power

Power

1. A surname.
   • Although US officials have been sounding the alarm about the imminent risk of famine in the war-torn strip, USAID Administrator Samantha Power is the first official to publicly agree with an assessment that famine is already taking place.2024 April 11, Jennifer Hansler, “USAID administrator says it is ‘credible’ to assess famine is already occurring in parts of Gaza”, in CNN