suicide cable

Meaning

Noun

• A simple electrical cord with prongs on both ends; plugging one end into a live outlet (for example a generator) and the other end into a dead outlet (in a house with no power) allows power to be injected from the live outlet into the dead one.

Related

Similar words

• suicide cord
• male-to-male cable
• male-to-male cord
• widowmaker

Origin

• So called because when one end is plugged into a live outlet, the exposed prongs of the other end are highly dangerous.