flywheel

American  

[flahy-hweel, -weel] / ˈflaɪˌʰwil, -ˌwil /

noun

Machinery.

1. a heavy disk or wheel rotating on a shaft so that its momentum gives almost uniform rotational speed to the shaft and to all connected machinery.

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flywheel British  

/ ˈflaɪˌwiːl /

noun

1. a heavy wheel that stores kinetic energy and smooths the operation of a reciprocating engine by maintaining a constant speed of rotation over the whole cycle

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Etymology

Origin of flywheel

First recorded in 1775–85; fly ² + wheel

Example Sentences

“Owned-brand products also deliver higher penny profit for us, which we can use to invest back into the member experience, further propelling the flywheel that drives our business,” Chief Executive Bob Eddy said.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Our approach to building self-driving is really designed around this data flywheel,” Scaringe said at its “Autonomy and AI Day” in Silicon Valley Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal

When Barron’s named Netflix as a stock pick, we cited the success of a “flywheel” model where more subscribers meant more money to spend on content, which in turn attracts even more users.

From Barron's

And this should encourage even more participation — creating a virtuous circle of innovation, demand and monetization known as the “flywheel effect.”

From MarketWatch

“Management commentary is becoming increasingly positive, suggesting that the private markets flywheel can accelerate,” Weaver writes.

From Barron's