generator
n. countablen. a machine that turns fuel or movement into electricity. You use one when the power goes out or when you are far away from a city.
n. a machine or device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. In technical contexts, it can also refer to a person or thing that produces or originates a specific result.
We used a portable generator to keep the lights on during the storm.
The hospital relies on a massive backup generator to ensure life-saving equipment stays powered during a blackout.
While the primary turbine provides the bulk of the facility's power, the secondary generator remains on standby to handle peak loads during the summer months.
From Latin, from past participle of genero (“beget, father”), equivalent to generate + -or.
Commonly used with modifiers like 'backup', 'portable', or 'emergency' to specify the machine's purpose.