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driveshaft

driveshaft

1 6.1
A long rod that turns to send power from the engine to the wheels
  • noun
  • /ˈdraɪvˌʃæft/
  • Specialized
translation icon : eje de transmisión
  • The mechanic inspected the driveshaft to ensure it was properly transmitting power to the wheels.
  • engine with a driveshaft
  • driveshaft, universal joints
  • power to the driveshaft

Examples

  • The local bar/grocery store owner and his family never had any idea of how thin a thread their lives hung on while they smiled and waved at me from their dining room table as I pulled up on the old driveshaft, grabbing the hand brake for all I was worth with two hands... finally stopping a foot or two from their big window.

    Blog text (28)
  • Tobias tried to explain the workings of the steam engine, pointing to the spinning driveshaft leading aft to the single screw, but it was obvious that this device was completely beyond the assembly.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Well, your motor's about to fall out and... the chassis' all bent up, the... the driveshaft is all destroyed.

  • The 19th-century factory was powered by a single driveshaft spanning the length of the building; belts and chains delivered power to each individual work bay.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Rockwell simply makes sense. Plus, since the pinion on the top loader sits so high, your driveshaft.

    Blog text (22)
  • Did accountants compel, say, the use of Dexcool, or the notorious rope, driveshaft, or the Citation's awful?

    Blog text (14)
  • That primary mechanical driveshaft gave way to electric power long ago, with motors powering the lathe, drill, or milling machine in each workstation.

    Academic text (2005)
  • "So do undertakers," Thurston said, not loud enough for her to hear as he banged a salvaged driveshaft with a sledge as if meaning to demolish it.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Kenny said, "Like lifting the QE2, isn't it?" With that, he shot a whining jolt of electricity to his driveshaft and sped on down the aisle.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • A calibrated thrust torque balance (provided by NASA Langley Research Center) connected between the propeller hub and the driveshaft for measuring thrust and torque.

    Academic text (2003)

Synonyms

transmission shaft
vsdriveshaft
  • Specialized
1 5.2

A metal rod that turns to carry power from an engine to the wheels

is used more generally to send power to any needed point such as wheels

Surface Forms

driveshaft singular
driveshafts plural

Morphology

driveshaft = drive + shaft (transparent) = drive + shaft

A straightforward compound: 'drive' (power/motion) + 'shaft' (rod transmitting motion) yields a shaft that transmits driving power.

Etymology

The word driveshaft comes from the simple parts drive and shaft, where drive means 'to push or move' and shaft means 'a long pole'. So a driveshaft is a long pole that carries the engine's push to the wheels to make the car move.