Webster's English Dictionary

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volt

1. volt \'vo-lt, 'vo.lt\ n [F volte, fr. It volta turn, fr. voltare to 
   turn, fr. (assume]d) VL volvitare, freq. of L volvere to roll - more at 
   VOLUBLE 1a: a tread or gait in which a horse going sideways makes a turn 
   around a c enter 1b: a circle traced by a horse in this movement  2: a 
   leaping movement in fencing to avoid a thrust 
2. volt \'vo-lt\ n [Alessandro Volta -1827 It physicist] 1: the practical 
   mks unit of electrical potential difference and electromot ive force equal 
   to the difference of potential between two points in a conducting wire 
   carrying a constant current of one ampere when the power dissipated between 
   these two points is equal to one watt and equivalent to the potential 
   difference across a resistance of one ohm when one ampere is flowing 
   through it 2: a unit of electrical potential difference and electromotive 
   force equal  to 1.00034 volts and formerly taken as the standard in the 
   U.S.