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head gasket

head gasket

4 5.6
A thin part that sits between the engine block and cylinder head to stop oil, coolant, and gas from leaking
  • noun
  • /hɛd ˈɡæskɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : junta de culata
  • To fix the overheating issue, I need to replace the head gasket in my engine.
  • a blown head gasket
  • replace the head gasket
  • a new head gasket

Examples

Antonyms

290 1.0

A small opening that lets water, gas or light escape

Surface Forms

head gasket singular
head gaskets plural

Morphology

head + gasket

The meaning is compositionally predictable: 'gasket' means a sealing piece and 'head' specifies the location (the engine head), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is the seal at the head of an engine that prevents leaks. This noun–noun technical compound follows common cross-linguistic part–of–object naming patterns, making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners familiar with the constituents.

Etymology

Head gasket is a thin seal that sits between the engine's head, the top part, and the engine block; the name comes from its job as the 'gasket' at the 'head'. So, when the head gasket fails, oil and coolant can 'mix' or 'leak' into places they should not, and the engine can overheat or stop working.