[tur-bin, -bahyn] 
| 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. |
tur·bine (tûr'bĭn, -bīn')  (click for larger image in new window) n. Any of various machines in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid is converted to mechanical power by the impulse or reaction of the fluid with a series of buckets, paddles, or blades arrayed about the circumference of a wheel or cylinder. [French, from Latin turbō, turbin-, spinning top, perhaps from Greek turbē, turmoil.] |
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. |