thomas alva edison

noun

1. Thomas Al·va [al-vuh] /ˈæl və/, 1847–1931, U.S. inventor, especially of electrical devices.
2. a township in central New Jersey.

noun

1. Thomas Alva. 1847–1931, US inventor. He patented more than a thousand inventions, including the phonograph, the incandescent electric lamp, the microphone, and the kinetoscope

1. American inventor and physicist who took out more than 1,000 patents in his lifetime. His inventions include the telegraph (1869), microphone (1877), and light bulb (1879). He also designed the first power plant (1881-82), making possible the widespread distribution of electricity. During World War I, Edison worked on a number of military devices, including flamethrowers, periscopes, and torpedoes.