idio-electricadj.n.

1784 R. Kirwan Elements Mineral. iii. 222 Sulphur is a tasteless, hard, brittle, idio-electric substance.

1804 C. H. Wilkinson Elements Galvanism I. xi. 369 The employment of idio-electric substances in the above arc, namely, of jet, asphaltes, sulphur, [etc.].

1892 U.S. Patent 484,448 1/1 The ability of a resinous, vitreous, or similar idioelectric body to attract and support a light body—such as a bit of paper—when electrified by being rubbed upon a surface of wool, silk, or cat's skin.

1986 F. Burwick Damnation of Newton iv. 132 As distinguished from conductors..idioelectric bodies absorb more light than heat [in Schelling's view].

2006 F. Steinle in J. Schickore & F. Steinle Revisiting Discov. & Justif. 184 He [sc. C. Dufay] approached the question experimentally, by varying..the material of the electrified body, the basis/support of the electrified body (more or less idio-electric material), [etc.].

1790 Trans. Royal Soc. Edinb. 2 240 The bodies I have enumerated, are all in the class of imperfect ideo-electrics.

1807 O. Gregory tr. R. J. Haüy Elem. Treat. Nat. Philos. I. 345 There is no body which is either a perfect idio-electric, or a perfect conductor.

1860 Nichol's Cycl. Physical Sci. (ed. 2) 255/1 In these circumstances, the metal conducts itself under friction as an Idioelectric, receiving a sensible charge.

1952 E. Farber Evol. Chem. xvi. 216 William Gilbert had already, about 1600, divided these substances into two general groups, the ideoelectrics and the anelectrics, of which only the first are electrified by friction.