turbine

noun

tur·​bine ˈtər-bən  -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

The river had been diverted to run the giant turbines to provide electricity to Siskiyou County and parts of southern Oregon for the first time in the early 20th century. —Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024

And as ridiculously massive as this turbine is, there's every chance it'll soon be dwarfed by others even bigger. —New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2024

Turbine size has increased from 2MW and is on a trajectory to see turbines larger than 20MW in the 2030s. —Mark Le Dain, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024

The limited edition features a giant 3-D skull on the lower dial, with a 12-blade turbine that spins above it in spectacular fashion. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2024

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

Phrases Containing turbine

• gas turbine
• steam turbine
• wind turbine

Kids Definition

turbine

noun

tur·​bine ˈtər-bən 

-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"