horsepower
noun
horse·pow·er
ˈhȯrs-ˌpau̇(-ə)r 
1
: the power that a horse exerts in pulling
2
: a unit of power equal in the U.S. to 746 watts and nearly equivalent to the English gravitational unit of the same name that equals 550 foot-pounds of work per second
3
: effective power
intellectual horsepower
computing horsepower
Examples of horsepower in a Sentence
an engine with 200 horsepower
that architectural firm probably doesn't have the creative horsepower to produce a truly innovative design
Recent Examples on the Web
The tires are capable of handling more torque, horsepower and weight than before, can be tuned for each automaker's needs and are more sustainable than previous P Zero generations.
—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
Aside from the total output of 650 horsepower and 792 lb-ft of torque – both suitably vast, even for an equally large car that weighs over 6,500 pounds – the new flagship Spectre has a couple of dynamic tricks up its sleeve.
—Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Toyota appears to address many concerns of the first-generation EV with the 2026 model year updates, including a 25% increase in EV range, up to 50% improvement in horsepower and fast-charging capabilities.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 13 May 2025
The Jaguar has a dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine producing 265 horsepower and a four-speed manual transmission.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 11 May 2025
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Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
Aside from the total output of 650 horsepower and 792 lb-ft of torque – both suitably vast, even for an equally large car that weighs over 6,500 pounds – the new flagship Spectre has a couple of dynamic tricks up its sleeve.
—Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Toyota appears to address many concerns of the first-generation EV with the 2026 model year updates, including a 25% increase in EV range, up to 50% improvement in horsepower and fast-charging capabilities.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 13 May 2025
The Jaguar has a dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine producing 265 horsepower and a four-speed manual transmission.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for horsepower
Cite this Entry
“Horsepower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horsepower. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
horsepower
noun
horse·pow·er
ˈhȯr-ˌspau̇(-ə)r
: a unit of power equal in the U.S. to 746 watts and nearly equal to the English unit of the same name that equals 550 foot-pounds of work per second
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