piston
/ˈpɪst(ə)n
/noun
1A disc or short cylinder fitting closely within a tube in which it moves up and down against a liquid or gas, used in an internal combustion engine to derive motion, or in a pump to impart motion.Besides leaving salt deposits, rusting internal parts and causing valve damage, water in an engine also makes short work of pistons and cylinders....
- The central control circuit then sends a control signal to the driver's circuit for the accumulator piston.
- The aluminum block has ductile iron cylinder liners and is filled with JE pistons.
1.1A valve in a brass musical instrument in the form of a piston, depressed to alter the pitch of a note.It is in C, a tone above the euphonium, and reaches the lowest notes with the aid of six pistons; its upward range is much greater than that of the larger tubas....
- The valves and pistons on a trumpet are very delicate - and essential.
Origin
Early 18th century: from French, from Italian pistone, variant of pestone 'large pestle', augmentative of pestello 'pestle'.
The Latin pistullum meant pestle (Middle English) and is the source of the botanical pistil (early 18th century) from its similar shape. From the same source Italian formed pestone for a large pestle or rammer, and this, via French, is the source of piston.
Rhymes
- preoccupant
- preoccupation
- preoccupative
- preoccupatively
- meaningly
- meaning-text model
- meaning-text theory
- meanish
- mean libration
- mean line
- mean-looking
- meanly
- mean machine
- mean-minded
- meanness
- mean noon
- mean proportional
- means
- mean sea level
- means-end
- Means grass
- Means' grass
- means of grace
- means of production
- mean solar day