Webster's English Dictionary

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power

1. pow.er \'pau.(-*)r\ n [ME, fr. OF poeir, fr. poeir to be able, fr. 
   (assumed) L pote] often attrib -re to be powerful - more at POTENT 1a: 
   possession of control, authority, or influence over others  1b: one having 
   such power; specif : a sovereign state  archaic  1c: a force of armed men  
   chiefly dial  1d: a large number or quantity  2a1: ability to act or 
   produce an effect  2a2: capacity for being acted upon or undergoing an 
   effect  2b: legal or official authority, capacity, or right  3a: physical 
   might  3b: mental or moral efficacy  3c: political control or influence  4: 
   an angel of the fourth lowest rank  5a: the number of times as indicated by 
   an exponent a number is to be multi plied by itself 5b: CARDINAL NUMBER  
   6a: a source or means of supplying energy; esp : ELECTRICITY  6b: MOTIVE 
   POWER  6c: the time rate at which work is done or energy emitted or 
   transferred  7: MAGNIFICATION  8: SCOPE, COMPREHENSIVENESS mean the ability 
   to exert effort. POWER may imply latent or exerted, physical, mental, or 
   spiritual ability to act or be acted upon; FORCE implies the actual and 
   efficacious exercise of power; ENERGY applies to power expended or capable 
   of being transformed into work; STRENGTH applies to the quality or property 
   of a person or thing that enables him to exert force or withstand strain, 
   pressure, or attack; MIGHT implies great or overwhelming power or 
   strengthCOMMAND, SWAY, DOMINION mean the right to govern or rule or 
   determine. POWER implies possession of ability to wield coercive force, 
   permissive authority, or substantial influence; AUTHORITY implies the 
   granting of power for a specific purpose within specified limits; 
   JURISDICTION applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits; 
   CONTROL stresses the power to direct and restrain; COMMAND implies the 
   power to make arbitrary decisions ant compel obedience; SWAY suggests the 
   extent or scope of exercised power or influence; DOMINION stresses 
   sovereign power or supreme authority SYN syn POWER, FORCE, ENERGY, 
   STRENGTH, MIGHT  SYN syn POWER, AUTHORITY, JURISDICTION, CONTROL,  
2. power vt : to supply with power esp. motive power