trailing axle
- noun
- Archaic
:
eje trasero
- Steam locomotives with a trailing axle can support a larger firebox for more efficient operation.
Examples
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The new engine design featured a trailing axle for better balance and stability.
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After inspection, the engineer found a problem with the trailing axle of the locomotive.
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The steam locomotive had a trailing axle for better stability.
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Many trains utilize a trailing axle to support their weight.
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The engineer explained that the trailing axle is essential for maintaining stability in steam locomotives.
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Every steam locomotive is equipped with a trailing axle to connect the two unpowered wheels at the rear.
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To enhance the locomotive's performance, engineers focused on optimizing the design of the trailing axle.
Synonyms
An axle that supports a wheel but does not give power to it
A bar under a vehicle that turns to support wheels but does not drive them
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'trailing' conveys 'located behind/following' and 'axle' is a rod wheels rotate around, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes an axle positioned behind the driving wheels. Although the term is specialized to locomotives, the semantic relation is literal and cross-linguistically straightforward, making it immediately understandable from its parts.
Etymology
Trailing axle is a simple, literal name: trailing means 'coming after' and axle is the bar that holds wheels, so you can picture an axle sitting just behind the engine's main wheels. That's why it means 'an axle placed behind the driving wheels to support the rear of a steam engine and help balance it'.
