piston

¹

[pis-tuhn]

noun

1. a disk or cylindrical part tightly fitting and moving within a cylinder, either to compress or move a fluid collected in the cylinder, as air or water, or to transform energy imparted by a fluid entering or expanding inside the cylinder, as compressed air, explosive gases, or steam, into a rectilinear motion usually transformed into rotary motion by means of a connecting rod.

2. a pumplike valve used to change the pitch in a cornet or the like.

Piston

²

[pis-tuhn]

noun

1. Walter, 1894–1976, U.S. composer.

piston

/ ˈpɪstən /

noun

1. a disc or cylindrical part that slides to and fro in a hollow cylinder. In an internal-combustion engine it is forced to move by the expanding gases in the cylinder head and is attached by a pivoted connecting rod to a crankshaft or flywheel, thus converting reciprocating motion into rotation

piston

1. A solid cylinder or disk that fits snugly into a hollow cylinder and moves back and forth under the pressure of a fluid (typically a hot gas formed by combustion, as in many engines), or moves or compresses a fluid, as in a pump or compressor.

Other Word Forms

• pistonlike adjective
• subpiston noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of piston¹

First recorded in 1695–1705; from French, from Italian pistone “piston,” a learned alteration of pestone “large pestle,” equivalent to pest(are) “to pound” (variant of Medieval Latin pistare, derivative of Latin pīstus, past participle of pīnsere “to pound, crush”) + -one augmentative suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of piston¹

C18: via French from Old Italian pistone, from pistare to pound, grind, from Latin pinsere to crush, beat

Example Sentences

The technology uses the bobbing floaters to compress pistons, which push hydraulic fluid into storage tanks located nearby on land.

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Flowing spaces open with double-height spaces, subtle level changes and large openings like skylights, clerestory windows, balconies, and even a spot where an entire section of roof pivots open thanks to a large piston.

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Young explains that they have fewer moving parts than traditional piston engines, making them easier to maintain, yet deliver surprising power for their relatively compact, lightweight size.

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It is aimed at existing pilots who want to transition away from diesel piston engines.

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Mexican components often constitute 40% of U.S.-made vehicles, said Ebrard, who cited the example of an auto piston that might cross the border seven times.

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