1. Plural of electrophorus; devices that generate static electricity through induction, consisting of a resinous plate and a metal disk used to demonstrate electrical principles.
Usage: chiefly historical or educational; used in physics demonstrations and teaching

Examples

• The physics teacher brought several electrophoruses to class to demonstrate static electricity.
• Early scientists used electrophoruses to study the properties of electrical charge.
• The collection of antique electrophoruses in the museum showed how electrical experiments were conducted in the 18th century.
• Students learned about induction by operating the electrophoruses in the laboratory.
• Multiple electrophoruses were arranged on the demonstration table for the lecture.