Nearby Words

turbine

[tur-bin, -bahyn] Origin

tur·bine

[tur-bin, -bahyn]
noun
any of various machines having a rotor, usually with vanes or blades, driven by the pressure, momentum, or reactive thrust of a moving fluid, as steam, water, hot gases, or air, either occurring in the form of free jets or as a fluid passing through and entirely filling a housing around the rotor.


Origin:
1815–25; < French < Latin turbin-, stem of turbō something that spins, e.g., top, spindle, whirlwind; akin to turbid
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To turbine

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Turbine is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
Collins
World English Dictionary
turbine (ˈtɜːbɪn, -baɪn)
 
n
reaction turbine impulse turbine See also gas turbine any of various types of machine in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid is converted into mechanical energy by causing a bladed rotor to rotate. The moving fluid may be water, steam, air, or combustion products of a fuel
 
[C19: from French, from Latin turbō whirlwind, from turbāre to throw into confusion]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

turbine
1838, from Fr. turbine, from L. turbinem (nom. turbo) "spinning top, eddy, whirlwind," related to turba "turmoil, crowd" (see turbid). Originally applied to a wheel spinning on a vertical axis, driven by falling water. Turbo in ref. to gas turbine engines is attested from
EXPAND
1904. Turbocharger is from 1934. Aeronautic turboprop is attested from 1945, with second element short for propeller.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
turbine   (tûr'bĭn, -bīn')  Pronunciation Key 


(click for larger image in new window)

Any of various machines in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid, such as water, steam, or gas, is converted to rotary motion. Turbines are used in boat propulsion systems, hydroelectric power generators, and jet aircraft engines. See also gas turbine.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature