Definition of the word electrocution

The term "electrocution" was coined in the late 1800s as a result of the debate between two prominent scientists, Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, over the preferred method of transmitting and distributing electrical power: high voltage direct current (DC) versus low voltage alternating current (AC). Edison, who favored DC, advocated for the use of DC for both generation and distribution of electricity, arguing that it was safer and more efficient than AC. However, this was not practical due to the high voltage required for long distance transmission. As a result, Westinghouse, who favored AC, presented a solution in which high voltage AC could be used for transmission over long distances and transformed into lower voltages for local distribution. In a bid to discredit AC as a dangerously high-voltage form of electricity, Edison's engineers began implementing DC in public places such as churches, movie theaters, and trains. They also novelistically publicized the potential dangers of AC, coining the term "electrocution" to emphasize the dangers of electricity. They demonstrated this danger by electrocuting animals such as horses, dogs, and cats, which caused them to violently convulse before finally dying. However, the term "electrocution" caught on and came to encompass any death caused by electric shock. Today, the word is widely used to describe fatal electric accidents, and the debate between DC and AC has now been resolved in favor of AC due to its widespread adoption and practical use as a transmission method.