joule (jo?ol, joul)n. Abbr. J or j1. The International System unit of electrical, mechanical, and thermal energy.2. a. A unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere is passed through a resistance of one ohm for one second.b. A unit of energy equal to the work done when a force of one newton acts through a distance of one meter. See Table at measurement.[After James Prescott Joule.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Joule (d?u?l) n (Biography) James Prescott. 1818?89, English physicist, who evaluated the mechanical equivalent of heat and contributed to the study of heat and electricityjoule (d?u?l) n (Units) the derived SI unit of work or energy; the work done when the point of application of a force of 1 newton is displaced through a distance of 1 metre in the direction of the force. 1 joule is equivalent to 1 watt-second, 107 ergs, 0.2390 calories, or 0.738 foot-pound. Symbol: J [C19: named after James Prescott Joule]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014joule (d?ul, d?a?l) n. the SI unit of work or energy, equal to the work done by a force of one newton when its point of application moves through a distance of one meter in the direction of the force. Abbr.: J, j [1885?90; after J. P. Joule] Joule (d?ul, d?a?l) n. James Prescott, 1818?89, English physicist. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.joule (jo?ol, joul) A unit used to measure energy or work. One joule is equal to the work done when a force of one newton acts over a distance of one meter.The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.joule1. A unit of work or energy transfer. One joule is equal to work done by a force of one newton moved about 1 m in the direction of the force.2. (J) A unit of energy equal to the work done when a force of one newton is applied through a distance of one meter. Used instead of calorie: 1 J = 0.239 cal. Named after the British physicist J.P. Joule (1818?89).Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited