Amp

How to spell amp

3 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce amp

What does amp mean?

1. nounAn electronic device that increases the strength of an audio signal, especially for a musical instrument.
2. nounA unit of electric current, short for ampere.
3. verbTo increase the intensity, energy, or excitement of something, usually followed by 'up'.

Amp in a sentence

• noun

  The guitarist plugged his lead into the amp before the show.

• noun

  The kettle draws roughly one amp on that low setting.

• verb

  The coach tried to amp up the team before kickoff.

• noun

  A blown valve in the amp left the band without any volume.

• noun

  The electrician fitted a fuse rated at one amp for that small circuit.

• verb

  Loud music can really amp up the mood at a party.

Where does amp come from?

Language of origin: French

Amp is a clipped, informal word that does double duty for two longer terms. In its electrical sense it shortens 'ampere', the unit of electric current, which was named in the 1880s after the French physicist Andre-Marie Ampere, a pioneer of the study of electromagnetism. In its audio sense it shortens 'amplifier', from the verb 'amplify', which traces back through Old French to the Latin 'amplificare', meaning 'to enlarge or make wider', built on 'amplus' meaning 'large or abundant'. The short form 'amp' began appearing in the early twentieth century as both fields became part of everyday life, electrical engineering and recorded music. The single compact spelling is easy to write, since the longer words behind it both happen to begin with the same three letters.

How the word is built

• amp (clipped form of either 'ampere' or 'amplifier')