Engineering English
Circuit Breaker
Electrical Engineering · Aerospace Engineering · Software Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: An automatic switching device that interrupts current flow when a fault such as an overload or short circuit is detected, and can be reclosed after operation.
Example in context
“When the short circuit occurred, the circuit breaker tripped within a few milliseconds and isolated the faulty feeder.”
“Kısa devre meydana geldiğinde devre kesici birkaç milisaniye içinde açtı ve arızalı fideri ayırdı.”
Where engineers use it
Used daily in protection design, panel schedules, and fault analysis; engineers need it when selecting interrupting ratings, coordinating trip curves, and specifying devices that clear overloads and short circuits safely.
Synonyms: breaker, CB
In Aerospace Engineering
A resettable protective device that interrupts an electrical circuit when current exceeds a rated value for a defined time. It protects aircraft wiring from overheating and can be pulled to isolate equipment for maintenance.
“Maintenance collared the circuit breaker for the deactivated coffee maker so nobody could reset it before the replacement part arrived.”
In Software Engineering
A circuit breaker is a design pattern that detects failures and prevents repeated attempts to execute an operation that is likely to fail. It opens the circuit when failures reach a threshold, allowing the system to recover.
“We added a circuit breaker to the external payment service to avoid cascading failures across our microservices.”
Practice: can you use “Circuit Breaker” at work?
A breaker in a factory trips repeatedly every afternoon. Outline the measurements and checks you would perform to decide whether the cause is overload or a fault.
Show a model answer
“The circuit breaker trips automatically to interrupt fault current and protect the circuit.”
“Circuit Breaker” in 21 languages
| English | Circuit Breaker |
|---|---|
| Turkish | devre kesici |
| French | disjoncteur |
| German | Leistungsschalter |
| Spanish | interruptor automático |
| Chinese | 断路器 |
| Arabic | قاطع الدائرة |
| Portuguese | disjuntor |
| Russian | автоматический выключатель |
| Japanese | 遮断器 |
| Italian | interruttore automatico |
| Vietnamese | máy cắt điện |
| Hindi | सर्किट ब्रेकर |
| Thai | เซอร์กิตเบรกเกอร์ |
| Indonesian | pemutus sirkuit |
| Korean | 차단기 |
| Bengali | সার্কিট ব্রেকার |
| Dutch | vermogensschakelaar |
| Swedish | effektbrytare |
| Finnish | katkaisija |
| Ukrainian | автоматичний вимикач |
Frequently asked questions
What does Circuit Breaker mean in engineering?
An automatic switching device that interrupts current flow when a fault such as an overload or short circuit is detected, and can be reclosed after operation. In Electrical Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Circuit Breaker?
Circuit Breaker is pronounced /ˈsɜːrkɪt ˈbreɪkər/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Circuit Breaker used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “When the short circuit occurred, the circuit breaker tripped within a few milliseconds and isolated the faulty feeder.”
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