turbine

noun

tur·​bine ˈtər-bən How to pronounce turbine (audio)
-ˌbīn
: a rotary engine actuated by the reaction or impulse or both of a current of fluid (such as water, steam, or air) subject to pressure and usually made with a series of curved vanes on a central rotating spindle

Did you know?

The oldest and simplest form of turbine is the waterwheel, which is made to rotate by water falling across its blades and into buckets suspended from them. Hero of Alexandria invented the first steam-driven turbine in the 1st century A.D., but a commercially practical steam turbine wasn't developed until 1884; steam turbines are now the main elements of electric power stations. Jet engines are gas turbines. A turbojet engine uses a turbine to compress the incoming air that feeds the engine before being ejected to push the plane forward; a turboprop engine uses its exhaust to drive a turbine that spins a propeller. A wind turbine generates electricity by being turned by the wind; the largest now have vanes with a turning diameter of over 400 feet.

Examples of turbine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Much of the electricity powering our lights and refrigerators and cellphones comes from rivers, their once free-flowing waters backing up behind dams and trickling through hydropower turbines. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Still, the turbines are a clear — and for some, bitter — sign that times have changed. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 26 Feb. 2024 Such requirements limit the land available for turbines so much that wind farms are no longer economically feasible. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 Using De Dominicis’ models, the researchers have been able to do just that, visualizing the effects of turbine placements well in advance. Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024 One turbine delivered about 5 megawatts of power to the Massachusetts grid just before midnight Wednesday. Jennifer McDermott, Fortune Europe, 4 Jan. 2024 Steam then travels to aboveground turbines, which generate clean electricity. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Nov. 2023 Impurities in the material used for high-pressure turbine disks could lead to premature cracks, potentially resulting in uncontained disk failures. Marisa Garcia, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 But a report published in 2019 found no link between health outcomes and proximity to turbines. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'turbine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin turbin-, turbo top, whirlwind, whirl, from turba confusion — more at turbid

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of turbine was in 1842

Dictionary Entries Near turbine

Cite this Entry

“Turbine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turbine. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

turbine

noun
tur·​bine ˈtər-bən How to pronounce turbine (audio)
-ˌbīn
: an engine whose central driving shaft is fitted with a series of blades spun around by the pressure of a fluid (as water, steam, or air)
Etymology

from French turbine "turbine," from Latin turbin-, turbo "top (for spinning), whirlwind"

More from Merriam-Webster on turbine

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