rocker arm

noun

: a center-pivoted lever actuated by a cam to push an automotive engine valve down

Examples of rocker arm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The solid rocker arms and rotating cam lobes do create more friction than valve springs, which increase wear on these solid components that need to stay within microscopically tight tolerances to perfectly time the valvetrain. Michael Teo Van Runkle, Ars Technica, 11 Dec. 2023 The side plates, rocker arm, back spring, and blade are the core of the knife. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 28 Aug. 2023 Longer roller rocker arms and a Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE) custom-ground camshaft provided higher lift and more duration. Larry Webster, Car and Driver, 12 Aug. 2023 The cylinder heads could be swapped bank-to-bank, featured integral valve guides, and lacked rocker arm shafts. Car and Driver, 28 June 2020 Salvatore Vicari, the works council chief at Schaeffler’s Homburg plant, said over the din of clanking and whirring machines transforming metal bands into rocker arms that help combustion engines save fuel. Bloomberg.com, 28 Mar. 2018 When deployed, the unit stretches 15.5 feet and uses rocker arms to tilt the spikes into the tire at the correct angle, ensuring maximum penetration. David Beard, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rocker arm was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near rocker arm

Cite this Entry

“Rocker arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rocker%20arm. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

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