Definition
The stationary part of a rotating electrical or mechanical machine. In an electric motor or generator, the stator is the fixed outer assembly of windings or magnets around which the rotor turns. In a torque converter or fluid coupling, the stator is the stationary set of vanes that redirects fluid flow between the pump and turbine.
Plain English
The part of a machine that stays still while another part spins inside or around it. It does its job by holding its position rather than moving.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft electrical system discussions, alternator or generator maintenance, and turbine-engine compressor descriptions.
Derivation
From the Latin 'stare,' meaning 'to stand.' The stator stands still — it is the standing part. Its partner, the rotor, comes from the same family of words as 'rotate.' Knowing this pairing makes the two terms easy to keep straight.
Why Pilots Care
When troubleshooting electrical system problems — a failing alternator, a weak generator output — knowing which part is the stator and which is the rotor helps a pilot follow maintenance discussions and understand what has failed and why.
Analogy
A stator is like the fixed frame around a spinning fan. The fan blades move, but the frame stays in place and helps hold or guide the moving parts.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse stator with rotor. The stator stays still; the rotor rotates.
Example Sentence 1
The mechanic traced the alternator fault to a shorted winding in the stator.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight, the technician checked the alternator stator for signs of overheating or winding damage.