Differential

1. n. A form of conductor used for dividing and distributing the current to a series of electric lamps so as to maintain equal action in all.
2. a. Relating to or indicating a difference; creating a difference; discriminating; special; as, differential characteristics; differential duties; a differential rate.
3. a. Of or pertaining to a differential, or to differentials.
4. a. Relating to differences of motion or leverage; producing effects by such differences; said of mechanism.
5. n. An increment, usually an indefinitely small one, which is given to a variable quantity.
6. n. A small difference in rates which competing railroad lines, in establishing a common tariff, allow one of their number to make, in order to get a fair share of the business. The lower rate is called a differential rate. Differentials are also sometimes granted to cities.
7. n. One of two coils of conducting wire so related to one another or to a magnet or armature common to both, that one coil produces polar action contrary to that of the other.

The word meanings were obtained from OPTED(The Online Plain Text English Dictionary), which is based on “The Project Gutenberg Etext of Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary” which is in turn based on the 1913 US Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary (See Project Gutenburg), as a text file.