pantograph

UK/ˈpantəɡɹɑːf/

nounC2Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,510 of 15,258Too rare in one of the two pools to compare — fewer than 20 uses in speech or in writing

Other forms: pantographs

A pantograph is the arm that takes current from the overhead wire. Raise the pantograph, a broken pantograph, the pantograph sparked.

It is sprung upwards so the contact strip stays against the wire however the train bounces, and the wire itself zigzags so the strip wears evenly. A pantograph tearing the wires down closes a line for hours.

Definitions of pantograph

1nounpantographThe arm that takes current from the overhead wire.C2
“Sparks flew from the pantograph on the roof of the electric train.”

pantograph is a device.

Where it comes from

French pantographe joins Greek pantos, of all, and graphein, to write, from the earlier copying instrument of that shape.

Ancient Greek
παντός
French
pantographe
English, today
pantograph

Built from

πᾶν · Ancient Greek — all
γράφειν · Ancient Greek — to write

From French pantographe, from panto- (from Ancient Greek παντός, genitive singular of πᾶν (“all”)), and -graphe (from γράφειν (“to write”)).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Railways

Practise this word

pantograph in the wild

Using the same principle, different kinds of pantographs are used for other forms of duplication in areas such as sculpting, minting, engraving, and milling.
Pantograph
The term stems from the resemblance of some styles to the mechanical pantographs used for copying handwriting and drawings.
Pantograph (transport)
The pantograph is a common type of current collector; typically, a single or double wire is used, with the return current running through the rails.
Pantograph (transport)
Founded in 1919, it introduced the single-arm pantograph in 1955.
Faiveley Transport

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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