circuit breaker
noun [C]Definition
› a piece of equipment that stops the flow of an electric current, used to prevent damage to the wires and equipment that are connected to it: If your internet access is out, it could be that a circuit breaker was tripped during a storm.
› STOCK MARKET a rule that temporarily stops trade on a stock market or closes it when prices go down to a particular level too quickly: The New York Stock Exchange instituted circuit breakers to reduce volatility and promote investor confidence. There are three circuit-breaker thresholds—10%, 20%, and 30%— calculated at the beginning of each quarter.
(Definition of circuit breaker noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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