An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A device for storing electric charge. The simplest sort of capacitors consists of two parallel, conductive plates having equal amounts of opposite charges and separated by a → dielectric material. When a capacitor is fully charged there is a → potential difference
between its plates. The larger the area of the plates and/or the smaller the separation between them the greater will be the charge that the capacitor can hold and the greater will be its → capacitance. The actual charge Q on the plates of a capacitor is given by: Q = C . V, where C is the capacitance and V the → voltage.

Etymology (EN): From capacit-, from → capacity + → -or.

Etymology (PE): From gonjân transitive stem of gonjidan “to be contained; to hold exactly; to be filled,” → capacity, + -gar, → -or.