En"er*gy (?), n.; pl.
Energies (#). [F. énergie, LL.
energia, fr. Gr.&?;, fr. &?; active; &?; in + &?; work. See
In, and Work.] 1. Internal or
inherent power; capacity of acting, operating, or producing an
effect, whether exerted or not; as, men possessing energies
may suffer them to lie inactive.
The great energies of nature are known to us
only by their effects.
Paley.
2. Power efficiently and forcibly exerted;
vigorous or effectual operation; as, the energy of a
magistrate.
3. Strength of expression; force of
utterance; power to impress the mind and arouse the feelings; life;
spirit; -- said of speech, language, words, style; as, a style full
of energy.
4. (Physics) Capacity for performing
work.
&fist; The kinetic energy of a body is the energy it has in
virtue of being in motion. It is measured by one half of the product
of the mass of each element of the body multiplied by the square of
the velocity of the element, relative to some given body or point.
The available kinetic energy of a material system unconnected
with any other system is that energy which is due to the motions of
the parts of the system relative to its center of mass. The
potential energy of a body or system is that energy which is
not kinetic; -- energy due to configuration. Kinetic energy is
sometimes called actual energy. Kinetic energy is
exemplified in the vis viva of moving bodies, in heat,
electric currents, etc.; potential energy, in a bent spring,
or a body suspended a given distance above the earth and acted on by
gravity.
Accumulation, Conservation,
Correlation, ∧ Degradation of
energy, etc. (Physics) See under
Accumulation, Conservation, Correlation,
etc.
Syn. -- Force; power; potency; vigor; strength; spirit;
efficiency; resolution.
