aeolipile
or ae·ol·i·pyle, e·ol·i·pile
[ ee-ol-uh-pahyl ]
noun
a round vessel caused to rotate by the force of tangentially escaping steam: an early example of jet propulsion.
a device for injecting the vapors of heated alcohol into a laboratory furnace.
Origin of aeolipile
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for aeolipile
aeolipile
/ (iːˈɒlɪˌpaɪl) /
noun
a device illustrating the reactive forces of a gas jet: usually a spherical vessel mounted so as to rotate and equipped with angled exit pipes from which steam within it escapes
Origin of aeolipile
1C17: from Latin aeolīpilae balls of Aeolus or aeolīpylae gates of Aeolus
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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