Undervolt

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To reduce the voltage supplied to an electronic component to improve energy efficiency or reduce heat generation while maintaining functionality
2. Adjusting the electrical power input to a device by lowering its voltage to decrease power consumption and thermal output without impairing performance
3. Decreasing the electrical potential delivered to hardware components to enhance longevity and efficiency by minimizing electricity use and heat production

Etymology: "Undervolt" is a plain compound: the prefix "under-" joined to "volt," the unit of electric potential named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta. The verb is built on the noun, so it means to run hardware at a lower voltage than its default setting. The logic follows the older sense of "under-" as "below" or "beneath," the same prefix found in "undercut" or "underpaid." Applied to voltage, it describes lowering the electrical potential a chip or processor receives, a practice enthusiasts and laptop owners adopt to reduce power draw and heat.

Synonyms: reduce voltage, lower voltage, decrease voltage, drop voltage, diminish voltage

Antonyms: overvolt, increase voltage, boost voltage, raise voltage, amplify voltage