Amp Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Cultural

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Etymology

Examples

Synonyms amp. 1 American

abbreviation

Electricity.

1. amperage.

2. ampere; amperes.

amp 2 American [amp] / æmp /

noun

Slang.

1. amputation.

2. amputee.

amp 3 American [amp] / æmp /

noun

Electricity.

1. ampere.

AMP 4 American

abbreviation

Biochemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble nucleotide, C 10 H 12 N 5 O 3 H 2 PO 4 , obtained by the partial hydrolysis of ATP or of ribonucleic acid, yielding on hydrolysis adenine, ribose, and orthophosphoric acid.

amp 5 American [amp] / æmp /

noun

1. amplifier.

verb (used with object)

1. to excite or energize (usually followed byup ).

   We were so amped up for the game that we forgot to eat.

amp. 1 British

abbreviation

1. ampere

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 AMP 2 British

abbreviation

1. adenosine monophosphate

2. Australian Mutual Provident Society

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 amp 3 British / æmp /

noun

1. an ampere

2. informal an amplifier

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

1. informal to excite or become excited

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 AMP Scientific / ā′ĕm-pē′ /

1. Short for adenosine monophosphate. An organic compound that is composed of adenosine and one phosphate group. It is one of the nucleotides present in DNA and RNA, and is also the fundamental component of ATP and ADP. During certain cellular metabolic processes, AMP forms from ADP when the latter loses a phosphate group, and AMP forms ADP by acquiring a phosphate group. Chemical formula: C 10 H 14 N 5 O 7 P.

amp Cultural

1. A unit of electric current (see also current). One ampere corresponds to a certain number of electrons passing a fixed point each second.

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A typical household's electrical supply includes a total of 120 to 200 amps; a typical house circuit carries 15 to 50 amps.

Etymology

Origin of amp1

First recorded in 1925–30; by shortening

Origin of amp1

First recorded in 1880–85; by shortening

Origin of AMP1

First recorded in 1950–55; a(denosine) m(ono-)p(hosphate)

Origin of amp1

First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A second danger is not paying attention to the combination of devices plugged into one extension lead, as it is easy to exceed the recommended amp limit.

From BBC

If you lost an instrument, free guitars, amps and a piano for the taking fill a room next to the stage.

From Los Angeles Times

This leverage can amp up bullish bets while markets are rising, but it can quickly sour during moments of turmoil, forcing investors to dump holdings to satisfy lenders.

From The Wall Street Journal

While patients may not mind if doctors amp up the tests and use high-tech diagnostics, there’s a fine line between doing enough for patients and doing too much.

From Barron's

He just needed to learn all about the sorts of wood used to make guitars, and to buy guitars and tubes and amps.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.