steam engine
10
3.5
- noun
- /stiːm ˈɛn.dʒɪn/
- Specialized
- The steam engine uses heated water to create steam that drives a piston.
- steam engine invented by Watt
- steam engine by Newcomen
- the invention of the steam engine
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Watch on YouTubeI was so delighted by the miniature train setups that are run by hobbyists who work specifically with steam engines at small scale.
- I was so delighted by the miniature train setups that are run by hobbyists who work specifically with steam engines at small scale.
- You know, let's let's show this this engine who's boss in the coal powered steam engine versus John Henry.
- But he figured out these this kind of rules for how kind of the, the efficiency of, of the possible efficiency of, of something like a steam engine.
Examples
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At the time of the American Revolution, there were only three steam engines in the colonies, all pumping water.
Academic text (1999) -
To get energy out of a steam engine, the steam has to be hotter than the surroundings.
Academic text (2000) -
Look at this steam engine.
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The invention of the steam engine changed the way we traveled and moved goods and services.
Academic text (2011) -
The use of newly efficient steam engines in manufacturing is creating ever cheaper goods.
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Nonetheless, it was Newcomen who first made the steam engine a reality.
Academic text (2003) -
During that time, a total of 260,000 miles of railways were laid for steam engines.
Academic text (2005) -
Later machines were powered by steam engines, and the belts were replaced with gears.
Academic text (2009) -
Her triple-expansion steam engines put out five thousand horsepower and turned twin screws.
Fiction book (1998) -
Mayor Atkins, I humbly thank you for the opportunity to restore this stunningly superb steam engine.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A machine that uses fuel to make power for cars or machines
2
4.6
A machine that uses steam to spin blades and make electricity
1
5.0
A machine that uses heat to make movement or power
A machine like a steam engine that burns fuel outside its cylinder to use the heat to make motion
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from the constituents: 'steam' (water vapor) + 'engine' (a machine) yields a machine powered by steam. This compound follows a common noun-noun composition pattern found across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Steam engine comes from a simple picture: hot steam from boiling water pushes parts inside the engine, moving a moving part or wheel. That's why the name means a machine that 'uses steam to move parts' and so powers trains and factories.