catalytic converter

American  

noun

• catalytic converters
  plural

1. an antipollution device in an automotive exhaust system that contains a catalyst for chemically converting some pollutants in the exhaust gases, as carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and oxides of nitrogen, into harmless compounds.

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catalytic converter British  

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: catcon.  a device using three-way catalysts to reduce the obnoxious and poisonous components of the products of combustion (mainly oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and unburnt hydrocarbons) from the exhausts of motor vehicles

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• catalytic converters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of catalytic converter

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

catalytic converter

This relic of combustion awakens in the morning with the refinement of a coffee grinder, winding at around 3,000 rpm until the catalytic converter heats up and the revs fall back to idle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

The Police Department launched its investigation last July after noticing a “significant rise” in catalytic converter thefts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026

They also are checking to see if there are connections to other nearby catalytic converter thefts.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2024

The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported in May that insurance claims for catalytic converter thefts across the country increased from 16,660 claims in 2020 to 64,701 in 2022.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 1, 2024

It was boxy and angular, and it poured so much smoke out of its exhaust pipe, I was certain the Forges of some Dark Lord were firing deep within its catalytic converter.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram