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Glossary of Terms


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19-Wire Combination Unilay
Combination Unilay Conductors are 19 strand constructions with a straight central wire, an inner layer of six wires of the same diameter as the central wire, and an outer layer consisting of six wires of the same diameter as the central wire alternated with six smaller wires. The smaller wires have a diameter of .732 times the diameter of the central wire. The 12 wires in the outer layer and the six wires of the inner layer all have the same length of lay and direction of lay.


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Acronym for the American Association of Railroads, an industry trade group which primarily represents the major freight railroads of North America (Canada, Mexico and the United States).
Abrasion Resistance
Alternating Current, or AC, is an electrical current that frequently reverses direction. AC electricity is measured according to its cycles, with one complete cycle being counted each time a given current travels in one direction and then doubles back on itself. It is expressed in cycles per second (hertz or Hz).
AC Resistance
Accelerated Aging
Accelerated aging is a testing method that utilizes aggravated conditions of heat, oxygen, sunlight, vibration, etc. to speed up the normal aging processes of items. It is used to help determine the long term effects of expected levels of stress within a shorter time, usually in a laboratory with controlled standard test methods.
Accelerated Life Test
An Accelerated Life Test is a test in which certain factors (such as voltage, temperature) to which a cable is subjected are increased in magnitude above normal operating values to obtain observable deterioration within a reasonable period of time and thereby affording some measure of the probable cable life under operating voltage, temperature, etc.
A chemical additive which hastens a chemical reaction under specific conditions.
Acronym for an Aluminum Conductor Steel-Reinforced cable.
Acronym for an Aluminum Conductor Steel-Reinforced cable which uses Class A zinc coated steel wire.
Acronym for an Aluminum Conductor Steel-Reinforced cable which uses Class B zinc coated steel wire.
Acronym for an Aluminum Conductor Steel-Reinforced cable which uses Class C zinc coated steel wire.
Active Current
In an alternating current, a component in phase with the voltage; the working component as distinguished from the idle or wattless component.
Active Pressure
In an AC circuit, the pressure which produces a current as distinguished from the voltage impressed upon the circuit.
Adjacent Conductor
Any conductor next to another conductor either in the same multiconductor cable layer or in adjacent layers.
Aerial Cable
A cable suspended in the air on poles or other overhead structure.
The irreversible change in properties or appearance of a material over time and under specific conditions (usually accelerated representations of environmental states, such as high temperature, oxygen or other various conditions).
Air Core Cable
A telephone cable in which the interstices in the cable core are not filled with a moisture barrier.
Air Spaced Coaxial Cable
Coaxial cable in which air is the essential dielectric material. A spirally wound synthetic filament or spacer may be used to center the conductor.
Abbreviation for Aluminum Mylar, a combination tape with one side of aluminum, used for shielding
A metal formed by combining two or more different metals to obtain desirable properties.
An aerial telephone cable having an aluminum shield.
A type of cable consisting of insulated conductors enclosed in a continuous closely fitting aluminum tube.
Alternating Current
Alternating Current Resistance
The resistance offered by any circuit to the flow of alternating current.
Alternating Voltage
Impedance through which alternating current is flowing.
Conditions existing at a location prior to the energizing of equipment (example: ambient temperature).
Ambient Temperature
Any all-encompassing temperature within a given area.
American National Standards Institute
The American National Standards Institute, or ANSI, (previously known as ASA) is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems and personnel in the United States.
American Society for Testing and Materials
The American Society for Testing and Materials, or ASTM, is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services. Known as ASTM International until 2001.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, or ASME, is a professional association that promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe via continuing education, training and professional development, codes and standards, research, conferences and publications, government relations, and other forms of outreach.
American Wire Gauge
American wire gauge, or AWG, is a standardized wire gauge system used since 1857 predominantly in the United States and Canada for the diameters of round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wire. The cross-sectional area of each gauge is an important factor for determining its current-carrying capacity. Based on a circular mil system where 1 mil equals .001 inch.
Amp, or ampere, is the SI unit of electric current. One ampere represents the current flowing through one ohm of resistance at one volt potential.
Ampacity, or current carrying ampacity, is the maximum current an insulated wire or cable can safely carry without exceeding either the insulation or jacket material limitations.
Ampere, or amp, is the SI unit of electric current. One ampere represents the current flowing through one ohm of resistance at one volt potential.
Ampere's Law
Annular Conductor
ANSI, or The American National Standards Institute, (previously known as ASA) is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems and personnel in the United States.
A substance which prevents or slows down oxygen decomposition (oxidation) or a material exposed to air.
A substance which prevents or slows down material degeneration due to ozone reaction.
Appliance Wiring Material
Appliance Wiring Material, or AWM, is a recognized component used in UL listed or classified products.
Per the OSHA definition, a product that has been tested to standards and found suitable for general application, subject to limitations outlined in the nationaly recognized testing lab's listing
A luminous glow formed by the flow of electric current through ionized air, gas or vapor between separated electrodes or contacts.
Arc Over Voltage
The minimum voltage required to create an arc between electrodes separated by a gas or liquid insulation under specified conditions.
Arc Resistance
Area of Conductor
A braid or wrapping of metal, usually steel, placed over the outer sheath for mechanical protection.
Armored Cable
A cable having a metallic covering for protection against mechanical injury.
A filled direct burial telephone cable used in areas subject to rodent attack. ASP cables consist of a filled cable core, corrugated aluminum shield, corrugated steel tape, flooding compound and polyethylene jacket.
ASTM International
ASTM International, now known as ASTM, is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services.
Power loss in an electrical system. In cables, attenuation is generally expressed in db per unit length, usually 1000 ft.
Audio Frequency
The range of frequencies audible to the human ear, usually 20 - 20,000 Hz.
AWM, or Appliance Wiring Material, is a recognized component used in UL listed or classified products.


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Abbreviation for Brown & Sharpe Wire Gauge, also known as American Wire Gauge (AWG).
Balanced Circuit
A circuit which is arranged so that the impressed voltages on each conductor of the pair are equal in magnitude but opposite in polarity with respect to ground.
Balanced Line
A transmission line consisting of two conductors of the same type, each of which have equal impedances along their lengths and equal impedances to ground and to other circuits. A balanced line offers good rejection of external noise.
Band Marking
The frequency range of transmitted electrical signals, expressed in Hertz.
Bare Conductor
A conductor with no coating or cladding on the copper.
Method of coiling into a fiber drum for shipment.
Acronym for Billion Conductor Feet, a quantity derived by multiplying the number of conductors in a cable by the amount of the cable. BCF is generally used to indicate plant capacity or an annual requirement.
Bend Radius
A term used to denote the minimum radius that an insulated cable may be safely bent during installation and use. A bend radius value is usually expressed as a whole number multiple (i.e. 8X) of a cables overall diameter.
Blown Jacket
Outer cable covering applied by controlled inflation of the cured jacket tube and then pulling the cable through it.
The attachment at an interface between an adhesive and an adherent or between materials attached together by adhesive.
Bond Strength
Amount of adhesion between surfaces, e.g., in bonded ribbon cable.
A device inserted into a line, or cable, to increase the voltage.
A protective covering over any portion of a cable or conductor in addition to its jacket or insulation.
Braid Angle
Braid Carrier
A spool or bobbin on a braider which holds a group of strands or filaments consisting of a specific number of ends. The carrier revolves during braiding operations.
Braid Ends
The number of strands which make up one carrier. Strands are wound side by side on the carrier bobbin and lie parallel in the finished braid.
Branch Joint
The joining of ends of two wires, rods or groups of wires with a nonferrous filler metal at temperatures above 800F (427C).
A disruptive discharge through the insulation.
Breakdown of Insulation
Failure of insulation which results in a flow of current through the insulation. May be caused by the application of high voltage or by defects or decay.
Breakdown Voltage
The voltage at which the insulation between two conductors breaks down.
Breaking Strength
The maximum tension load that a conductor attains before rupturing.
The point at which a conductor or group of conductors breaks out from a multiconductor cable to complete circuits at various points along the main cable.
British Standard Wire Gauge
Acronym for bare soft copper, uncoated annealed copper.
A soft material which mechanically isolates individual fibers in a fiber optic cable or bundle from a small geometrical irregularities, distortions, or roughness of adjacent surfaces.
Building Wire
Wire used for light and power, 600 volts or less, which is usually not exposed to outdoor environment.
Bunch Strand
Any number of conductor strands twisted together in one direction which contain the same lay length.
Bunch Stranding
A group of wires of the same diameter twisted together without a predetermined pattern.
Bunched Stranding
Bunched stranding is composed of any number of strands twisted together in the same direction without regard to geometrical arrangement of the individual strands. Normal direction of lay is left-hand.
A number of fibers grouped together, usually carrying a common signal.
Buried Cable
A cable installed directly in the earth without use of an underground conduit. Also known as a "direct burial cable."
Wire used to connect two terminals inside of an electrical unit.
Joining of two conductors end-to end, with no overlap and with the axes in line.
Butt Splice
A splice wherein two wires from opposite ends butt against each other, or against a stop, in the center of a splice.
Butt Wrap
Tape wrapped around an object or conductor in a edge-to-edge condition.
Typically a group of eight binary digits.


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C Symbol
Designation for capacitance, bias supply and centigrade.
A group of individually insulated conductors in twisted or parallel configuration, with or without an overall covering.
Cable Assembly
A completed cable and its associated hardware ready for install.
Cable Core
The portion of a cable lying under the outer protective covering.
Cable Filler
The material used in multiple conductor cables to occupy the spaces formed by the assembly of components, thus forming a core of the desired shape (normally cylindrical.)
Cable Jacket
The material, usually an extruded plastic or elastomer, applied outermost to a wire or cable to provide mechanical and environmental protection; often referred to as a sheath.
Cable Sheath
The twisting together of two or more insulated conductors to form a cable.
Cabling Factor
Used in the formula for calculating the diameter of an unshielded, unjacketed cable. D=Kd, where D is the cable diameter, K is the factor and d is the diameter of one insulated conductor.
Caged Armor
A construction using wires within a jacket to increase mechanical protection and tensile strength; sometimes used in submarine cables.
Storage of electrically separated charges between two plates which have different potentials. The value depends largely on the surface area of the plates and the distance between them.
Capacitance (Unbalance to Ground)
An inequality of capacitance between the ground capacitance of the conductors of a pair which results in a pickup of external source of energy, usually from power transmission lines.
Capacitance (Unbalance)
An inequality of capacitance between the wires of two or more pairs which result in a transfer of unwanted signal from one pair to others.
Capacitive Coupling
Electrical interaction between two conductors caused by the capacitance between them.
Capacitive Reactance
The opposition to alternating current due to the capacitance of a cable, circuit or capacitor. Measured in ohms and equal to 1/6.28fC where f is the frequency in Hz and C is the capacitance in farads.
Two conducting surfaces separated by a dielectric material. The capacitance is determined by the area of the surface, types of dielectric, and spacing between the conducting surfaces.
The woven grouping of a braided shield, consisting of one or several parallel ends.
Negative pole of an electric source.
Cathodic Protection
The control of the electroytic corrosion of an underground or underwater metallic structure by the application of an electric current through a sacrificial anode in such a way that the structure is made to act as a cathode of an electrolytic cell.
Acronym for Community Antenna Television, a system of distributing television programs to subscribers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables or light pulses through fiber-optic cables.
Belgium approval agency; Comite Electrotechnique Beige Service de la Marque.
Cellular Polyethylene
European standards agency; European Committee for Electrotechnical Norms.
Certificate of Compliance
A certificate which proves that the product being shipped meets customer’s specifications.
Certified Test Report
Acronym for Code of Federal Regulations, the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
Characteristic Impedance
Characteristic Impedance refers to the impedance that, when connected to the output terminals of a transmission line of any length, makes the line appear infinitely long. The ratio of voltage to current at every point along a transmission line on which there are no stranding waves.
Charging Current
Charging Time
The time required for the voltage between two conductors of a cable to acquire a value equal to 98.2% of the magnitude of an instantaneously applied DC voltage change.
Chlorinated Polyurethane
Chlorinated Polyethylene, or CPE, is widely used as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), rubber and modifier for resins (PVC, PE and ABS) because of its excellent resistance properties against heat, oil, chemical, fire and weather
Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene
Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSPE) synthetic rubber, otherwise known Hypalon, is noted for its resistance to chemicals, temperature extremes, and ultraviolet light. Hypalon is a product of DuPont Performance Elastomers, a subsidiary of DuPont.
The complete path through which a current flows or part of the complete path, such as one conductor.
Circular Mil Area
The area of a circle one mil (.001") in diameter, 7.845 x 10-7 sq. in. Used in expressing wire cross sectional area.
A method of applying a layer of metal over another metal whereby the junction of the two metals in continuously welded.
Acronym for Circular Mil Area, a unit of area which is equal to the area of a circle with a diameter of one mil (one thousandth of an inch).
To cover with a continuous layer of compound (such as varnish) for purposes of finishing, protecting or enclosing. Usually comprises variable degrees of impregnation depending on the nature of the substance.
Coaxial Cable
Cold Blend Test
A test whereby a sample of wire or cable is wound around a mandrel of a specified size within a cold chamber at a specified temperature for a given number of turns at a given rate of speed. The sample is then removed and examined for deterioration in the materials and construction.
Cold Flow
Permanent deformation of the insulation due to mechanical force or pressure (not due to heat softening.)
Cold Test
Color Code
Common Axis Cabling
In multiple cable constructions, a twisting of all conductors about a "common axis" with two conductor groups then selected as pairs. This practice yields smaller diameter constructions that does a separate axis construction, but tends to yield greater susceptance to EMI and ESI.
Common Mode
Noise, caused by a difference in "ground potential." By grounding at either end rather than both ends (usually grounded at source) one can reduce this interference.
Compact Stranded Conductor
A unidirectional or conventional conductor manufactured to a specified diameter, approximately 8 to 10% below the nominal diameter of a noncompact conductor of the same cross sectional area.
Composite Cable
An insulating or jacketing materials made by mixing two or more ingredients.
Compressed Stranding is a conventional conductor manufactured to a diameter not more than 3% below the nominal diameter of a noncompressed conductor of the same cross-sectional area.
Compressed Stranded Conductor
A conventional concentric conductor manufactured to a diameter not more than 3% below the nominal diameter of a non-compressed conductor of the same cross-sectional area.
Concentric Lay Cable
A multiple conductor cable composed of a central core surrounded by one or more layers of helically laid insulatedconductors. In the most common concentric lay constructions, all conductors are of the same size and the central (core) component is a single conductor. The direction of the lay is reversed for successive layers.
Concentric Strand
A group of uninsulated wires twisted so as to contain a center core with one or more distinct layers of spirally wrapped, uninsulated wires laid overall to form a single conductor. When more than one layer is present each layer must have a different lay length.
Concentric Stranding
The ability of a conductor to carry electric current. It is the reciprocal of resistance and is measured in ohms.
An uninsulated wire suitable for carrying electrical current.
Conductor Core
A copper-nickel alloy usually consisting of 55% copper and 45% nickel. Also known as Eureka, Advance and Ferry. Its main feature is its resistivity which is constant over a wide range of temperatures.
The part of a connector which actually carries the electrical current which are touched together or separated to control the flow.
Continuity Check
Continuous Vulcanization
Simultaneous extrusion and vulcanization of wire coating materials.
Control Cable
A multiconductor cable made for operation in control or signal circuits.
A polymer formed from two or more types of monomers.
Copper-Clad Steel
Copper-Clad Steel (CCS), also known as copper-covered steel or the trademarked name Copperweld, is a bi-metallic product mainly used in the wire industry that combines the high mechanical resistance of steel with the conductivity and resistance to corrosion of copper
Copperweld, also known as Copper-Clad Steel (CCS), is a bi-metallic product mainly used in the wire industry that combines the high mechanical resistance of steel with the conductivity and resistance to corrosion of copper
A small, flexible insulated cable.
Corona Effect
In wiring, the effect produced when two wires of other conductors having a great difference of voltage are placed near each other.
Corona Loss
A loss or discharge which occurs when two electrodes having a great difference of pressure are placed near together.
Corona Resistance
Corona Test
A test to determine the ability of cable to withstand the formation of corona under an increasing applied voltage and to extinguish corona when a corona-producing voltage is reduced.
The deterioration of a material by chemical reaction or galvanic action.
The minute cracks on the surface of plastic materials.
An acronym for Continuous Rigid Cable Support. Synonymous with tray.
The dimensional change with time of a material under load.
Electrical leakage on a solid dielectric surface.
Used by pickup of stray energy. Also known as induced interference.
Ultra-High Strength Copper Alloy
Acronym for the Canadian Standards Association, the Canadian counterpart of the Underwriters Laboratories.
Acronym for Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene synthetic rubber. Otherwise known Hypalon, CSPE noted for its resistance to chemicals, temperature extremes, and ultraviolet light. Hypalon is a product of DuPont Performance Elastomers, a subsidiary of DuPont.
Cable tray frame rating.
CU is the chemical element for copper.
See Vulcanization.
Current Carrying Capacity
Current carrying ampacity, or ampacity, is the maximum current an insulated wire or cable can safely carry without exceeding either the insulation or jacket material limitations.
Current Charging
Current Density
The current per cross sectional area in units of amperes/meters
Current Penetration
Current Rating
The maximum continuous electrical flow of a current recommended for a given wire situation. Expressed in amperes.
Current-Carrying Capacity
Resistance of solid material to penetration by an object under conditions of pressure, temperature, etc.
Cut-Through Resistance
The ability of a material to withstand mechanical pressure, usually a sharp edge or prescribed radius, without separation.
The complete sequence of alteration or reversal of the flow of an alternating electric current.


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Acronym for direct current, a type of electric current which flows in only one direction.
Acronym for Direct Current Resistance; the resistance offered by any circuit to the flow of direct current.
A unit which expresses differences of power level.
Acronym for Diesel Electric Locomotive.
Delay Line
Derating Factor
Dielectric Absorption
The property of an imperfect dielectric where there is an accumulation of electric charges within the body of the material when it is placed in an electric field.
Dielectric Breakdown
Dielectric Constant (K)
Dielectric Strength
Dielectric Strength Testing
A common safety test for electrical products often called hi-pot testing. Voltages many times higher than normal operating voltages are applied across the insulation. This test not only proves the integrity of the insulation system but increases product reliability by detecting faulty workmanship.
Dielectric Test
Direct Burial Cable
A cable installed directly in the earth without use of an underground conduit. Also known as a "burial cable."
Direct Capacitance
Direct Current
An electric current which flows in only one direction.
Direct Current Resistance
Direction of Lay
The lateral direction in which a conductor or group of conductors of a cable run over the top of the cable as the elements recede from the observer looking along the axis of the cable. Direction of lay is expressed as left-hand or right-hand. ASTM symbols used to indicate directions of lay are s for left-hand and z for right-hand.
Dissipation Factor
The tangent of the loss angle of the insulating material. (Also referred to as loss tangent, tan S. and approximate power factor.)
Acronym for Diesel Locomotive.
Double Foot
Combined length of one linear foot of paired material; i.e., one double foot is equal to one foot of positive material plus one foot of negative material. Usually used in determining thermocouple wire loop resistance.
Double Shield
Combination shield usually consisting of alum/mylar and awoven braid shield
Drain Wire
In a cable, the uninsulated wire in intimate contact with a shield to provide for easier termination of such a shield to a ground point.
In wire manufacturing, pulling the metal through a die or series of dies to reduce diameter to a specified size.
The method of coiling wire into fiber drums for shipment.
An underground or overhead tube for carrying electrical conductors.
Duplex Insulated
In the thermocouple industry, a combination of dissimilar metal conductor of a thermocouple or thermocouple extension wire.


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Voltage, electromotive force
British terminology for zero-reference ground
Like concentricity, eccentricity is a measure of the center of a conductor’s location with respect to the circular cross- section of the insulation. Expressed as a percentage of displacement of one circle within the other.
Acronym for Ethylene Chloro-Trifluoroethylene (Halar).
Eddy Current
Acronym for Electronic Industries Association.
A rubber-like substance.
Electrolytic Tough Pitch
A term describing the method of raw copper preparation which ensures a good physical and electrical grade copper finished product
Electromagnetic Interference
Electromotive Force
Electro-Motive Force
The force which determines the flow of electricity; a difference of electric potential
The fractional increase in length of a material stressed in tension.
Emergency Overload
Acronym for Electromagnetic Interference, a disturbance that affects an electrical circuit due to either electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic radiation emitted from an external source.
Acronym for Electrical Metallic Tubing
Enameled Wire
To apply rated voltage to a circuit or device in order to activate it.
Acronym for Environmental Protection Agency, the federal regulatory agency responsible for keeping and improving the quality of our living environment.
Acronym for Electronic Point-of-Sale.
Acronym for Ethylene Propylene Rubber, an ozone resistant rubber consisting primarily of ethylene propylene copolymer (EPM) or ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM).
Equilay strand construction consists of the same lay length and lay direction in each layer. Normal direction of lay is left-hand.
Equilay Stranding
Equilay Concentric stand construction is characterized by a central wire surrounded by one or more layers of helically laid wires in a geometric pattern, with alternately reversed lay direction and the same lay length.
A process applied to fluoroplastic wire in which the wire is passed through a sodium bath to create a rough surface to allow epoxy resin to bond the fluoroplastic.
Acronym for Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, otherwise known as Teflon.
Acronym for Electrolytic Tough Pitch Copper. ETPC has a minimum conductivity of 99.9%.
External Interference
The effects of electrical waves or fields which cause sounds other than the desired signal (static).
Extrudable Primary Insulations
Extrudable primary insulations are applied directly over the conductor and are often used for jackets. Materials include polyvinyl chlorides, polyethylenes, fluorocarbons, silicones, etc.
The process of continuously forcing both a plastic or elastomer and a conductor core through a die, thereby applying a continuous coating of insulation or jacket to the core or conductors.


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Acronym for the Federal Aeronautics Administration.
A unit of electrical capacity.
Fatigue Resistance
Acronym for the Federal Communications Commission.
Acroynm for Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene, a "Teflon" fluorocarbon resin that is registered T.M. of the DuPont Company.
A thread or threadlike structure. Also, a single discrete element used to transmit optical (light wave) information.
Fiber Dispersion
Fiber Optics
A lightwave or optical communications system in which electrical information is converted to light energy, transmitted to another location through optical fibers, and is there converted back into electrical information.
Area through which pass electric and/or magnetic lines of force.
Figure 8 Cable
An aerial cable configuration in which the conductors and the steel strand which supports the cable are integrally jacketed. A cross section of the finished cable approximates the figure "eight".
Filled Cable
1) A material used in multiconductor cables to occupy large interstices formed by the assembled conductors. 2) An inert substance added to a compound to improve properties or decrease cost.
A thin plastic sheet.
Flame Resistance
The ability of a material to prevent the spread of combustion by a low rate of travel so the flame will not be conveyed.
The measure of the materials ability to support combustion.
Flammability Test
A test to determine the ability of a cable to resist ignition when placed near a source of heat of flame and to self-extinguish when removed from this source.
Flat Braid
Flat Cable
A cable with two smooth or corrugated (but essentially) flat surfaces.
Flat Conductor
Flat Conductor Cable
A cable with a plurality of flat conductors.
Flex Life
The measurement of the ability of a conductor or cable to withstand repeated bending.
The ease with which a cable may be bent.
The quality of a cable or cable component which allows for bending under the influence of outside force as opposed to limpness which is bending due to the cable’s own weight.
Referring to a circuit which has no connection to ground.
Foamed Plastics
Insulations having a cellular structure.
Acronym for Fused Polyethylene Aluminum, a trademark of General Cable Corporation.
Number of times an alternating current reverses itself in one second. Expressed in Hertz (Hz), which is one cycle per second.
Fuse Wire
Fused Spiral Tape
A PTFE Insulated hookup wire. The spiral wrapped conductor is passed through a sintering oven where overlaps are fused together.


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Rubber-insulated, neoprene, Hypalon or CPE jacketed, portable power cable with two to five #8 AWG or larger conductors with ground wires.
Galvanized Steel Wire
Steel wire coated with zinc.
Gang Strip
Simultaneous stripping all conductors in a flat or ribbon cable.
Gas Filled Cable
A term used to denote the physical size of a wire.
An instrument for detecting or measuring small electrical current.
Acronym for Ground Fault Interrupter, a protective device that detects abnormal current flowing to ground and then interrupts the circuit.
A portable power cable similar to Type G, but also having a ground check conductor.
A numerical prefix denoting one billion.
Grounded Conductor
A system of circuit conductor that is intentionally grounded; usually colored white.
Grounded Neutral
Neutral wire that is mechanically connected to ground.
Grounding Conductor
A conductor used to connect equipment or the grounded circuit of a wiring system to a grounding electrode of electrodes; usually colored green.


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A trade name of Allied Chemical for their copolymer or ethylene and chlorotriflurorethylene. Acronym ECTFE.
Hard Drawn Copper Wire
Copper wire that has not been annealed after drawing.
An arrangement of wires and cables, usually with many breakouts, which have been pulled together or pulled into a rubber or plastic sheath used to interconnect an electric circuit.
Hash Mark Stripe
A noncontinuous helical stripe applied to a conductor for identification.
Heat Distortion
Distortion or flow of a material or configuration due to application of heat.
Heat Endurance
Heat Resistance
Heat Seal
A method for sealing by thermal fusion.
Heat Shock
Heavy Tinned Copper
Similar to tinned copper but with substantially greater tin thickness. Used with high frequency induction heaters to bond on the stripped area. The remaining length of wire retains it's original flexibility. Acceptable under UL, CSA, ASTM, MIL and most industry standards.
Helical Stripe
A continuous, colored spiral stripe applied to a conductor for circuit identification.
Hermetically Sealed
A gaslight enclosure that has been completely sealed by fusion or other comparable means.
A term replaced cycles-per- second as a unit of frequency.
Hi Pot
A test designed to determine the highest voltage that can be applied to a conductor without electrically breaking down the insulation.
High Voltage
Generally, a wire or cable with an operating voltage of over 35,000 volts.
DC high potential testing of medium and high voltage cables
Hook-Up Wire
Hot Tin Dip
A process of passing bare wire through a bath of molten tin to provide a coating.
Two-conductor, neoprene-insulated heater cord for use in damp locations.
Capable of absorbing and retaining moisture.
DuPont’s trade name for their Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene, an ozone resistant synthetic rubber.


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Acronym for International Annealed Copper Standard
Acronym for International Association of Electrical Inspectors
Acronym for Insulated Cable Engineers Association (formerly IPCEA).
Inner Diameter.
Acronym for International Electrotechnical Commission, similar to the ISO in structure and scope.
IECA S-95-658-1999
Standard for nonshielded power cables rated 2000 volts or less for the distribution of electrical energy covers THHN/THWN, XHHW and RHH/RHW/USE cables
Acronym for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Acronym for Intermediate Metal Conduit
Acronym for International Municipal Signal Association Specifications for Fire Alarm Cable.
Incoherent Source
Index Matching Fluid
Induced Current
Inductive Coupling
A material having high resistance to the flow of electric current.
Insulation Level-100%
Cable for use on grounded systems or where the system is provided with relay protection such that ground faults will be cleared as rapidly as possible but in any case within one minute.
Insulation level-133%
Cable for use on grounded systems or where the faulted section will be de-energized in a time not exceeding one hour.
Insulation Resistance
Insulation Resistance (I.R.)
Resistance offered by an insulation to an impressed DC voltage, tending to produce a leakage current through the insulation.
Insulation Thickness
The wall thickness of the applied insulation.
Interaxial Spacing
1) Center-to-center conductor spacing in paired wire or 2) Center-to-center spacing between conductors in a flat cable.
Interconnecting Cable
Any undesired electrical signal induced into a conductor by electrical or electromagnetic means.
Void or valley between individual strands in a conductor or between insulated conductors in a multiconductor cable.
Acronym for International Power Cable Engineering Association.
Acronym for Insulation Resistance.
Dual-metal combination for thermocouple junctions, used for temperature measurement in oxidizing or reducing atmospheres.
Acronym for Instrument Society of America.
Acronym for International Standards Organization.


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An outer covering, usually nonmetallic, mainly used for protection against the environment.
Applied over primary insulation, shields, cable components or the cable itself, jackets cover and protect enclosed wires or core against damage, chemical attack, fire and other harmful elements which may be present in the operating environment. Insulating materials include nylon, PVC, CPE, TPE, CSPE, neoprene, hypalon, ethylene-propylene rubber, polyurethane, etc.
JAN Specification
Joint Army-Navy specification (forerunner of present Military Specification).
Jumper Cable
A short flat cable interconnecting two wiring boards or devices.


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Constant used to denote insulation resistance.
A polyimide film developed by DuPont which can remain stable in a wide range of temperatures, from −273 to +400 °C (−459 – 752 °F / 0 – 673 K).
1000 circular mils
A numerical prefix denoting 1000.
A term denoting 1000 cycles
A term denoting one thousand cycles
A term denoting one thousand volts.
A term denoting one thousand watts.
Kilovolt (1000 volts).
Kilovolt ampere.
Kilowatt hours (1000 watt hours).
Penwalt trade name for Polyvinylidene Fluoride. Typically used as insulation for wire wrap wire.


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A liquid resin or compound applied to textile braid to prevent fraying, moisture absorption, etc.
Laminated Tape
A tape consisting of two or more layers of different materials bonded together.
Local Area Network for Controller Ethernet.
Local Area Networks System (integration of computer & communication). System that wires together all computers and peripherals in an office so they can talk to each other.
The axial distance required for one cabled conductor or conductor strand to complete one revolution about the axis around which it is cabled.
Lay Direction
The twist in the cable as indicated by the top strands while looking along the axis of the cable away from the observer. Described as "right hand" or "left hand."
Lay Length
Leaching and Non-Leaching
Lead Cured
Single conductor wire.
Leakage Current
Life Cycle
A test to determine the length of time before failure in a controlled, usually accelerated, environment.
Light Source
An object capable of emitting light. In fiber optics, the light source Is normally a LED or a laser.
A flexible bundle of fibers used to transmit light.
Light-Intensity Ratio
Ratio of input light intensity to the output light intensity.
Lightwave Communications
Communications using light to carry the information.
Limits of Error
The maximum deviation (in degrees or percent) of a thermocouple or thermocouple extension wire from standard emf-temperature to be measured.
Litz Wire
Type of cable used in electronics to carry alternating current. Litz wire is designed to reduce the skin effect and proximity effect losses in conductors used at frequencies up to about 1 MHz.
Acronym for Loss Of Coolant Accident, a system malfunction associated with nuclear generation stations.
Local Area Network
A baseband or broadband interactive bi-directional communication systems for information exchange on a common transmission line.
Longitudinal Shield
Longitudinal Wrap
Tape applied longitudinally with the axis of the core being shielded.
Loop Resistance
Loss Factor
Low Loss Dielectric
An insulating material that has a relatively low dielectric loss, such as Polyethylene or Teflon.
Low Noise Cable
Cable configuration specially constructed to eliminate spurious electrical disturbances caused by capacitance changes of self-generated noise induced by either physical abuse or adjacent circuitry.
Low Tension
Low voltage, as applied to ignition cable.
Acronym for Low Smoke
A term used to describe a termination, usually crimped or soldered to the conductor, with provision for screwing down to a terminal.


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Magnetic Field
The region within which a body or current experiences magnetic forces.
Magnetic Flux
Magnetic Noise
Caused by change in current level, e.g., AC powerline (creates magnetic field around that cable) this magnetic field causes the magnetic noise.
Marker Tape
A tape run in a cable or wire to designate information such as manufacturers ID.
MC Metal-Clad Cable
NEC type designation for power and control cables enclosed in a smooth metallic sheath, welded and corrugated metallic sheath, or an interlocking tape armour.
One thousand circular mils.
A unit for measuring radiation dosage. Equal to one million rads.
One million ohms.
A measuring device that test for high electrical resistance.
Melt Extrude
Abbreviation for 1000 foot
The unit of conductivity. The reciprocal of an ohm.
Megahertz (one million cycles per second). Formerly mc.
1 microfarad (μF) = one millionth (10−6) of a farad, or 1000000 pF, or 1000 nF.
Also called micrometer; the millionth part of a meter.
Noise is a system caused by mechanical vibration of components within the system.
A unit used in measured diameter of a wire or thickness of insulation over a conductor. One one-thousandth of an inch. (.001").
Modulus of Elasticity
The ration of stress to strain in an elastic material.
Moisture Absorption
Moisture Resistance
The basic chemical unit used in building a polymer.
Acronym for Mine Power Feeder cable.
Acronym for Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Dept. of Labor. Establishes standards and safety requirements for mines. "MSHA" may be printed on cables that have been accepted for listing as flame-resistant.
Thermoplastic-insulated machine tool wire. 90C to 105C, 600V.
More than one conductor within a single cable complex.
More than one conductor within a single cable .
Mutual Capacitance
Mutual Inductance
Radio hookup wire with polyvinyl insulation and plain or nylon jacket, braid, or shield. 1000V.
DuPont trademark for a polyester material used in the form of a tape.


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Acronym for National Bureau of Fire Underwriters.
Acronym for National Bureau of Standards.
Acronym for National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
Approval agency of Norway.
Neoprene is a polychloroprene and is a thermosetting compound. It is flexible, has good oil, ozone, heat and weather resistance, and specified for outdoor applications due to its weather, sunlight and cold temperature properties. It will not support combustion and resists abrasion and cutting.
National Fire Protection Association.
Non-metallic sheathed cable, braid or plastic covered. For dry use, 60°C.
Non-metallic sheathed cable, plastic covered. For dry use, 90°C.
Non-metallic sheathed cable, plastic or neoprene covered. Wet or dry use, 60°C, and corrosive applications.
Unwanted and/or unintelligible signals picked up on a cable circuit.
Nominal O.D.
The desired diameter for a cable that is established within a +/- tolerance.
Non-Contaminating PVC
A polyvinylchloride formulation, which does not produce electrical contamination through plasticizer migration.
A group of polyamide polymers which are used for wire and cable jacketings.


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Outer Diameter.
Acronym for Original Equipment Manufacturer.
Conductor displaced within the cross-section of its insulation.
Acronym for Oxygen-Free High Conductivity copper. OFHC constains no residual deoxidant, 99.95% minimum copper content and an average annealed conductivity of 101%.
Unit of resistance such that a constant current of one ampere produces a force of one volt.
Oil Aging
Cable aged in an accelerated manner by placement in an oil bath and heated to a pre-set temperature for a stated time.
Oil-Filled Cable
Not permitting the passage of light.
Optical Communication Cable
Fiber with a protective jacket around it.
Optical Conductors
Optical Waveguide
A fiber used for optical communications. Analogous to a waveguide used for microwave communications.
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Act 1970
Administered by U.S. Dept. of Labor which establishes Standards and safety requirements which all businesses must meet.
The dissipation of gas from a dielectric evidencing decomposition.
Approval agency of West Germany; Oesterreichischer Verband fur Elektrotechnik.
Overall Diameter
Finished diameter over wire and cable.
Individual strands of tin copper stranded together and then covered with a tin coating.
Overcoated Copper
Overcoated copper is composed of tinned copper strands twisted together followed by an overall tin coating. Same advantages as Prefused or Prebond copper. Acceptable under UL and CSA; not acceptable under MIL specifications.
The current which causes an excessive temperature rise in a conductor.
The amount the trailing edge laps over the leading edge of a tape wrap.
Oxygen Index
Percentage of oxygen necessary to support combustion of a specified material.
A highly active form of oxygen produced by the passage of electric discharges or sparks through air or oxygen.


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Packing Fraction
Two insulated wires of a single circuit associated together.
The union of two insulated single conductors through twisting.
Parallel Cable
Two insulated conductors side-by-side in a cable.
An air core (unfilled) direct burial telephone cable used in area subject to rodent attack. It consists of an unfilled cable core, corrugated aluminum shield, corrugated steel tape, flooding compound and polyethylene jacket.
Peak Voltage
The maximum instantaneous voltage.
Percent Conductivity
Measure of the resistance that is encountered when forming an electric field in a medium.
Phase Shift
A change in phase of a voltage or current after passing through a circuit or cable.
Pick Per Inch
Number of weft threads per inch of woven fabric or braiding.
Pitch, otherwise known as conductor twist or center-to center distance, may be short or long. A short pitch will not flare out as readily as a long pitch conductor. When a lead wire is cut on automatic equipment, and terminated separately, a flared conductor can cause extra labor charges. Today, most automatic cutting equipment strips the insulation off the conductor and applies a terminal in one operation. In this case, the longer pitch conductor is satisfactory.
Pitch Diameter
Diameter of a circle passing through the center of the conductors in any layer of a multiconductor cable.
Planetary Cabler
A cabler capable of laying down any number of shielded, overbraided, or jacketed singles, pairs, called groups, or any combination of them in sequence.
Planetary Twister
A twisting machine whose payoff spools are mounted in rotating cradles that hold the axis of the spool in a fixed direction as the spools are revolved so the wire will not kink as it is twisted.
Plastic Deformation
The air return path of a central-air handling system, either ductwork or open space over a dropped ceiling.
Plenum Cable
NEC type designation for Power- Limited Tray Cable for use in class 2 or 3 Power-Limited circuits; instrumentation supervisory control, and thermocouple extension.
(fiber optic) Act of smoothing ends of fibers to an optically smooth finish, generally using abrasives.
A thermoplastic material having the chemical identity of polymerized ethylene.
A substance made of many repeating chemical units or molecules. The term polymer is often used in place of plastic, rubber, or elastomer.
A thermoplastic polymer of propylene.
Polyurethane has exceptional resistance to oil, radiation, fungus, oxidation and ozone. It is unusually tough, has higher tensile strength and elongation, more abrasion resistance and better low temperature flexibility than neoprene. Its major disadvantage, however, is poor resistance to steam, high temperatures and acids. Polyurethane has outstanding "memory" properties, making it an ideal jacket material for retractile cords. Since it is an expensive material, it is only specified when other jacket materials will not satisfy the requirements of the application.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Polyvinyl Chloride is a common thermoplastic compound.
Multiple air voids in an insulation jacket wall.
Power Cables
Power Factor
The ratio of resistance to impedance. The ratio of the actual power of an alternating current to apparent power. Mathematically, the cosine of an angle between the voltage applied and the current resulting.
Portable Power Elastomer. Same as Type W except is a thermoplastic elastomer insulation and jacket whereas Type W is all thermoset.
Prebond Copper
Prebond Heavy tin coated individual wires stranded then bonded by resistance heat.
Prefused Copper
Prefused copper (otherwise known as prebond copper) is composed of twisted strands of heavy tinned copper fused along its entire length by heating. Prefused copper gives the characteristics of a solid conductor, but because it is comprised of individual strands it will not work-harden or break when continually flexed. Acceptable under UL and CSA; not generally acceptable under most Mil-W-16878 types.
Primary Insulation
The first layer of nonconductive material applied over a conductor, whose prime function is to act as electrical insulation.
Propagation Delay
Propagation Time
Acronym for Pound per Square Inch.
Acronym for Polytetrafluoroethylene.
Pulling Eye
A device fastened to a cable to which a hook may be attached in order to pull the cable into or from a duct.
Pulse Cable
PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is a thermoplastic material composed of polymers of vinyl chloride which may be rigid or elastomeric, depending on specific formulation. Used for general-purpose applications at temperatures up to 105°C.
Polyvinylidene fluoride (Kynar).
pyrometer is a non-contacting device that intercepts and measures thermal radiation, a process known as pyrometry.


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Acronym for Qualified Parts List.
A four conductor cable.


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The unit of radiation dose which is absorbed, equal to 100 ergs/gram.
Rated Temperature
Rated Voltage
Acronym for Rural Electrification Administration.
The opposition offered to the flow of alternating current by inductance or capacitance of a component or circuit.
Recovered Edge
Edge of a flat cable or conductor from which measurements are made.
Reference Junction
The junction of a thermocouple which is at a known reference temperature. Also known as the "cold" junction, it is usually located at the emf measuring device.
Reflection Loss
The part of signal which is lost due to reflection of power at a line discontinuity.
Reflow Soldering
Register Ton
The register ton is a unit of volume used for the cargo capacity of a ship, defined as 100 cubic feet (2.832 m 3).
A material used to reinforce, strengthen or give dimensional stability to another material.
Retractile Cable
Acronym for Radio Frequency Interference.
Acronym for Radio Government, Universal. RG is the military designation for coaxial cable and U stands for "general utility."
Rubber-Insulated, heat resistant building wire. 90C.
Rubber-insulated building wire, heat and moisture-resistant. 75C dry or wet.
Ribbon Cable
Ridge Marker
Ringing Out
Rise Time
The time required for the initially zero potential existing on a transmission line (which is terminated in its characteristics impedance) to change from 10% to 90% of its full DC value after a DC potential source is instantaneously applied.
Acronym for Root Mean Square.
Rockwell Hardness
A test for determining hardness in which a hardened steel ball or diamond point is pressed into the material under test.
The amount of radiation that will produce on electrostatic unit of ion per cubic centimeter volume.
Rope Lay Conductor
A conductor composed of a central core surrounded by one or more layers of helically laid groups of wire.
Rope Strand
Rope Stranding
Rope Stranding is composed of cabled groups of any of the following stranded members: bunched, true concentric, compressed, unidirectional concentric, unilay, equilay
Round Conductor
A conductor whose cross section is substantially circular.
DuPont’s trade name for their flame-retardant polyethylene insulating material.


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Heavy duty, rubber-insulated portable cord. Stranded copper conductors with separator and individual rubber insulation. Two or more color coded conductors cabled with filler, wrapped with separator and rubber jacketed overall. 600V.
Acronym for Society of Automotive Engineers.
Conductor type designation for conductors with silicone insulation and glass braid (formerly Asbestos), for use in dry locations.
Rubber co-polymer of styrene and butadiene.
Service drop cable. Two code, rubber insulated conductors, tape, laid parallel with neutral conductor concentric thereover. Tape and braid overall. Also round construction
Small diameter multi-conductor control cable with neoprene jacket and nylon sheath over polyethylene insulation.
Above ground service entrance cable, not protected against mechanical abuse. Flame-retardant, moisture-resistant covering. Overall neoprene sheath, 60°C-75°C.
Secondary Insulation
Selenium Cure
Process used to cure neoprene and rubber jacketed wires and cables.
Self-Supporting Aerial Cable
Self-Supporting Cable
Any assemblage of conductors which incorporates a steel rope of steel sheath for added tensile strength, thus enabling it to be suspended between widely spaced supports.
Semi-Conducting Tape
Semi-Rigid PVC
A hard semi-flexible polyvinylchloride compound with low plasticizer content.
Approval agency for Sweden.
Service cord with Elastomer jacket, oil resistant jacket, oil resistant insulation and weather resistant. Same as SEOW but has oil resistant singles too. SEOOW meets CSA approval for outdoor use as STOW. 600V
Service cord with Elastomer jacket, oil resistant jacket and weather resistant. SEOW meets CSA approval for outdoor use as STOW. Features a Thermo-plastic Elastomer (TPE) jacket and insulation and is water resistant. 600V
A layer of insulating material such as textile, paper, polyester, etc. Used to improve stripping qualities, flexibility, mechanical or electrical protection to the components.
Service round entrance cable (Type SE, Style R).
Series Resistance
Any sum of resistances installed in sequential order within one circuit.
Served Wire Armor
A wrapping applied over the core of a cable. Servings may be in the form of filaments, fibers, yarn, wires, tape, etc.
Service Entrance Cable (type SE, style U). (Unarmored).
Silicone Rubber insulated equipment wire (CSA).
Silicone Rubber insulated equipment wire (CSA).
Silicone rubber insulated fixture wire, solid or 7 strand conductor. 200C.
Same as SF, except flexible stranding. 150C.
Portable mine power cable, three or four individually shielded conductors, with grounding conductors. 5000V-8000V-15000V.
The outer covering or jacket of a multiconductor cable.
Shield Coverage
The physical area of a cable that is actually covered by the shielding material and is expressed in percent.
Shield Effectiveness
The relative ability of a shield to screen out undesirable signals.
Shield Percentage
Shock Test
Shore Hardness
An instrument measure of the surface hardness of an insulating or jacket material.
Specific inductive capacitance. Same as Dielectric Constant.
Signal Cable
Metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47
Fusion of a spirally applied tape wrap jacket by the use of high heat to a homogeneous continuum. Usually employed for fluorocarbon, nonextrudable materials.
Indicates single conductor having synthetic thermosetting insulation of heat- resistant, moisture-resistant, flame-retarding grade. Also made with chemically cross linked polyethylene insulation. Used for switchboard wiring only, 90C.
Junior hard service, rubber-insulated pendant or portable cord. Same construction as type S, but 300V. Jacket thickness different.
Same as SJ, but neoprene, oil-resistant compound outer jacket. 300V, 60C.
Same as type SJO, except oil resistant insulation and oil and weather resistant jacket.
Junior hard service thermoplastic or rubber-insulated conductors with overall thermoplastic jacket. 300V, 60C to 105C.
Same as SJT but oil-resistant thermoplastic outer jacket. 60C.
Skin Effect
A cable designed for use in hazardous locations consisting of insulated conductors in an extruded nonmetallic jacket which is then covered with an overlapping spiral metal tape and wire shield and jacketed with an extruded moisture, flame, oil, corrosion, fungus and sunlight-resistant nonmetallic material.
Hard service cord, same construction as type S except oil-resistant neoprene jacket. 600V, 60C to 90C.
Solid Conductor
A single unit not divided into parts.
Service cord with oil resistant jacket, oil resistant insulation and weather resistant. Also is water resistant. 600V
Water resistant neoprene jacketed portable cord (UL/CSA).
All rubber, parallel jacketed, two- conductor light duty cord for pendant or portable use in damp locations. 300V.
Distance between the closest edges to two adjacent conductors.
In flat cables, the distance from the reference edge of the first conductor to the reference edge of the last conductor (in cables having flat conductors), or the distance between the centers of the first and last conductors (in cables having round conductors), expressed in inches or centimeters.
Spark Test
A test designed to locate imperfections (usually pin-holes) in the insulation of a wire or cable by application of a voltage for a very short period of time while the wire is being drawn through the electrode field.
Acronym for Submersible Pump Cable.
Specific Gravity
Specific Inductive Capacity
Same as dielectric constant.
Spectral Response
Spiral Wrap
The helical wrap of a material over a core.
Multiple Shielded Pairs or Triads with overall shield, instrumentation or thermocouple extension cable.
Same as SP-1, except all- thermoplastic. 300V. With or without 3rd conductor for grounding.
Service cord with parallel conductors and Thermoplastic insulation. AWM Style 20288, extra flexible parallel cord for use as internal wiring of appliances or can be woven through links of chains (suspended fixtures). 300V
Same as SP-2, except all- thermoplastic. 300V. With or without 3rd conductor for grounding. Same as SP-2, except all- thermoplastic. 300V. With or without 3rd conductor for grounding.
Hard service cord, jacketed, same as type S except all-plastic construction, 600V, 60C to 105C.
Stability Factor
The difference between the percentage power factor at 80 volts/mil and at 40 volts/mil measured on wire immersed in water at 75C for a specified time.
Standing Wave
Standing Wave Ratio
A ratio of the maximum amplitude to the minimum amplitude of a standing wave stated in current or voltage amplitudes.
Static Condition
Step Index Fiber
(fiber optic) A multimode fiber consisting of a core of uniform refractive index, surrounded by cladding of slightly lower refractive index.
Same as ST but with oil-resistant thermoplastic outer jacket. 600V, 60C.
Same as STO but with oil-resistant insulation.
Service cord with oil resistant Thermoplastic jacket and weather resistant. STOW meets CSA approval for outdoor use. Can be water resistant - UL 600V
A single uninsulated wire.
Stranded Conductor
To remove insulation or jacket to expose the conductor.
Strip Force
Service cord with Thermo-plastic, and weather resistant jacket, but not oil resistant. Can be UL water resistant. STW meets CSA approval for outdoor use. 600V
Suggested Working Voltage
AC voltage that can be applied between adjacent conductors.
Surface Resistivity
DuPont’s trade name for their thermoplastic resin with ionic crosslinks.
Vacuum cleaner cord, two or three conductor, rubber-insulated. Overall rubber jacket. For light duty in damp locations. 300V, 60C.
Same as SV except neoprene jacket. 300V, 60C.
Same as SV except all-plastic construction. With or without third conductor for grounding purposes only. 300V, 60C to 90C.
Sweep Test
A method to determine the frequency response of a cable by generating an RG voltage whose frequency is varied at a rapid constant rate over a given range.
Switchboard Cable


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Tank Test
Tape Insulations
Used as primary insulation, tape insulations include TFE, Kapton, Mica, Polyester, alone or laminated with other materials, etc.
Tape Wrap
A spirally applied tape over an insulated or uninsulated wire.
Acronym for Tinned Copper.
Tear Strength
The force require to initiate or continue a tear in a material under specified conditions.
A DuPont Company trademark for fluorocarbon resins. FEP, PFA and TFE are typical materials.
Teflon FEP
DuPont trade name, Fluorinated ethylene propylene or FEP is a copolymer of hexafluoropropylene and tetrafluoroethylene
Teflon PFA
DuPont trade name, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene
DuPont trade name for a fluorocarbon material typically used as a wire wrap insulation.
Telemetry Cable
Temperature Coefficient of Resistivity
Temperature Rating
Temperature Ratings
Temperature Stress
Tensile Strength
The pull stress required to break a given specimen.
Tensile Stress
A term denoting the greatest longitudinal tensile stress a substance can bear without tearing apart or rupturing.
Tension Member
A member included in a fiber cable to add tensile strength.
Metal wire termination devices designed to handle one or more conductors, and to be attached to a board, bus, or block with mechanical fasteners or clipped on.
Test Lead
A flexible, insulated lead wire used for making tests, connecting instruments to a circuit temporarily, or for making temporary electrical connections.
Canadian Standards Association type appliance wires. Solid or stranded single conductor, plastic-insulated. 600V, 105C.
Textile Braid
Any braid made from threads of cotton, silk, or synthetic fibers.
Fixture wire, thermoplastic-covered solid or 7 strands with nylon sheath. 60C.
Thermal Aging
Thermal Rating
The maximum and/or minimum temperature at which a material will perform its function without undue degradation.
Thermal Resistance
Thermal Resistivity
Thermal resistance of a unit cube of material.
Thermal Shock
Thermocouple Element
Thermocouple Extension Cable
Thermocouple Extension Wire
A pair of wires of dissimilar alloys having such EMF-temperature characteristics complimenting the thermocouple which is intended to be used, such that when properly connected allows the emf to be faithfully transmitted to the reference junction.
Thermocouple Wire
A pair of wires of dissimilar alloys having emf-temperature characteristics calibrated to high temperature levels than the extension type of thermocouple wire.
A material which softens when heated and becomes firm on cooling.
Thermoplastic Insulation
A material which hardens or sets by heat, chemical or radiation cross- linking techniques and which, once set, cannot be resoftened by heating.
Term describing insulation that will resoften or distort from its formed shape by heating until a destructive temperature is reached.
90C, 600 volt, nylon jacketed building wire for dry locations.
Thermoplastic vinyl insulated building wire. Flame-retardant, moisture and heat- resistant. 75C Dry and wet locations.
Same as THW but with nylon jacket overall. 75C.
Same as THWN with 90°C dry, 90°C wet location.
Tin Overcoat
Tinned copper wire, stranded, then coated with pure tin.
Tinned Copper
Tinned Copper Conductors
Tinned copper conductors are typically specified for use in electrical and electronic equipment. Though slightly more expensive than bare copper, they facilitate rapid soldering and the small price differential is more than offset by savings in labor cost.
Tinsel Wire
low voltage electrical wire used when maximum mechanical flexibility is required
Bare (untinned) copper wire, stranded, then coated with pure tin.
Topcoated Copper
Topcoated copper is the same as overcoated copper with the exception that bare copper strands are used. Acceptable under UL and CSA; not acceptable under MIL specifications.
Acronym for Thermoplastic Elastomer, a thermoplastic rubber which has mechanical characteristics of thermoset rubbers yet is a thermoplastic. They have excellent ozone and chemical resistance, excellent electrical properties and low water absorption. Temperature range is -70°C to 125°C.
A means of identifying polarity.
Transfer Impedance
Transmission Line
Transmission Loss
A cable tray is a unit or assembly of units or sections, and associated fittings, made of noncombustible materials forming a rigid structural system used to support cables.
Tray Cable
A factory-assembled multiconductor or multipair control, signal or power cable specifically approved under the National Electrical Code for installation in trays.
Triaxial Cable
Triboelectric Noise
Noise generated in a shielded cable due to variation in capacitance between shielding and conductor as the cable is flexed.
A cable consisting of three insulated single conductors twisted together.
A cable composed of three insulated single conductor cables twisted together.
True Concentric
True Concentric strand construction consists of a central wire surrounded by one or more layers with lay direction reversed for successive layers, with increased length of the lay for each successive layer. Normal direction of lay of the outer layer is left-hand.
A tube of extruded nonsupported plastic or metallic material.
Twin Cable
A cable composed of two separately insulated stranded conductors laid parallel under a common covering.
Twin Coaxial Cable
Twin Line
A transmission line which has a solid insulating material, in which the two conductors are placed in parallel to each other.
A device for twisting together two conductors.
Twisted Pair
A twisted pair is composed of two small separately insulated wires twisted together without a common covering.
Twisted Triad
Any three individually insulated conductors which are twisted together.


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Thermoplastic underground feeder and branch circuit cable.
Underground feeder cable, thermoplastic insulated with conductors rated at 90°C.
Acronym for Ultra High Frequency; 300 to 3,000 Mhz.
Acronym for Underwriters Laboratories, a nonprofit independent organization which operates a listing service for electrical and electronic materials and equipment.
Ultraviolet Degradation
Unbalanced Circuit
A transmission line in which voltages on the two conductors are unequal with respect to ground; e.g., a coaxial cable.
Unbalanced Line
A line where the voltage on the two conductors are not equal with respect to ground.
Unidirectional Concentric
Unidirectional Concentric strand construction is the same as true concentric with the exception that lay direction is the same in all layers. Normal direction of lay of the outer layer is left-hand.
Unidirectional Concentric Stranding
A stranding where each successive layer has a different lay length, thereby retaining a circular form without migration of strands from one layer to another.
Unidirectional Stranding
A term denoting that in a stranded conductor all layers have the same direction of lay.
Unilay strand construction is the same as true concentric with the exception that lay length is the same in each layer. Normal direction of lay is left-hand.
Unilay Stranding
Acronym for Underground Service Entrance cable, rubber-insulated, neoprene or XLP jacketed.
Same as USE except 90°C wet rating.
Approval agency for France; Union Technique de l’Electricite.


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West Germany approval agency.
Velocity of Propagation
VFD Cables
Variable Frequency Drive cables, VFD, used to connect alternating current variable frequency drives to alternating current variable frequency motors.
Acronym for Very High Frequency, 30 to 300 Mhz.
Video Pair Cable
A unit of electrical pressure. One volt is the amount of pressure that will cause one ampere of current in one ohm of resistance.
Electrical potential or electromotive force expressed in volts.
Voltage Drop
A term expressing the amount of voltage loss from original input in a conductor of given size and length.
Voltage Levels
Power-Limited 0-300 volts, Low Voltage 600-2000 volts, Medium Voltage 5000-69000 volts.
Voltage Rating
The highest voltage that may be continuously applied to a wire in conformance with standards or specifications.
Voltage Standing Wave Radio
The ratio of the maximum effective voltage to the minimum effective voltage measured along the length of mis-matched radio frequency transmission line.
Volume Resistivity
The electrical resistance between opposite faces of a 1 cm. cube of insulating material, commonly expressed in ohms/centimeter.
An irreversible process during which a rubber or polymeric compound through a change in its chemical structure (for example, crosslinking) become thermoset.
A flammability rating established by Underwriters Laboratories for wires and cables pass a specially designated vertical flame test, formerly designated FR-1. Multiconductor flat or round portable power cables without grounding conductor.


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Without ground.
Wall Thickness
The thickness of the applied insulation or jacket.
Water Absorption
Water by percent weight absorbed by a material after a given immersion period.
Water Absorption Test
A method to determine the water absorbed through an insulating material after a given water immersion period.
Waterblocked Cable
WC 70
Same as ICEA S-95-658-1999.
Same as ICEA S68-516.
The longitudinal flow of a liquid in a wire or cable due to capillary action.
A single conductor, typically with a covering of insulation.
Wire Gauge
A measure of the diameter or size of wires. The sizes are expressed by numbers.


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High temperature (90C) chemically cross-linked polyethylene jacketed small diameter building wire.
600V cross-linked polyethylene (XLP) insulated building wire. 90ºC dry, 90°C wet.
Acronym for Cross-Linked Polyethylene.
Acronym for Cross-Linked Polyethylene.


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Yield Strength


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NEC conductor type designation for conductors with ETFE insulation for use in dry locations.
NEC conductor type designation for conductors with ETFE insulation for use in wet or dry locations.
DuPont’s trade name for nylon resins.

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