| A | B |
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| NEC (National Electric Code) | Provides thorough, detailed instructions for determining the adequacy of an electrical wiring system and is written intending to guide in the safe repair and modification of electrical systems |
| Energy source | A source of electrical energy, AC (alternating current, used in most homes) or DC (direct current). |
| Conductors | Electrical wires to carry electrical energy from its source to the point of use. |
| Load | An electrical device that uses energy such as a light bulb, computer, or electric heater. |
| Switches | Controls to turn on or off electrical energy being supplied to an electrical load or device. |
| Dimmer | also called "rheostat" |
| GFI of GFCI | A device to prevent electrocution, which serves also as a receptacle or (less commonly) as a breaker. Since 1973, Code has required GFI protection for more and more receptacle locations in homes. |
| Hot wire (adjective) | Having electrical force (voltage) in relation to ground/earth, especially 120 volts. |
| Hot wire (noun) | The wire/terminal/contact that is to be hot, especially the wire from a breaker to lights/appliances. |
| Neutral | The wires of a circuit connected ultimately to the earth to receive flow “back” from a light or appliance. They are always supposed to be white. Contact with them should not normally shock you because they are normally connected to ground much better than you can be. |
| Pigtail | To provide circuit connection to a fixture, appliance, or device by means of a single wire getting its own connection out of a connector (wire nut) that contains other wires of the circuit |
| Receptacle | A device that serves as the outlet for lights or appliances to connect to a circuit by means of a cord with “plug” on the end. |
| Three-way | Switching system in which a light (or lights) is controllable from more than one location by two or more switches. The name comes from the usual number of terminals on or contact points within the switches involved. |
| Wire | Bendable metal for carrying electric currents. Except when used as a grounding wire, it’s coated with insulative material. In homes, wires that run to outlet and switch locations are mostly within cables; their sizes (gauges: “AWG”) are (from smallest) 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, etc., with larger wires at the meter and panel using a different numbering system. |
