horsepower

American  

[hawrs-pou-er] / ˈhɔrsˌpaʊ ər /

noun

1. a foot-pound-second unit of power, pow, power, equivalent to 550 foot-pounds per second, or 745.7 watts.

2. Informal. the capacity to achieve or produce; strength or talent.

   The university's history faculty is noted for its intellectual horsepower.

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horsepower British  

/ ˈhɔːsˌpaʊə /

noun

1. an fps unit of power, equal to 550 foot-pounds per second (equivalent to 745.7 watts)

2. a US standard unit of power, equal to 746 watts

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horsepower Scientific  

/ hôrs′pou′ər /

1. A unit that is used to measure the power of engines and motors. One unit of horsepower is equal to the power needed to lift 550 pounds one foot in one second. This unit has been widely replaced by the watt in scientific usage; one horsepower is equal to 745.7 watts.

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horsepower Cultural  

1. A unit of power equal to about 746 watts.

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Discover More

The horsepower is used to measure the power of engines.

This term was coined by James Watt, who invented a new type of steam engine in the eighteenth century. Watt found that the horse could do a certain amount of work per second; when he sold his steam engines, this measurement allowed him to estimate the worth of an engine in terms of the number of horses it would replace. Therefore, a six-horsepower engine was capable of replacing six horses.

Etymology

Origin of horsepower

First recorded in 1800–10; horse + power

Compare meaning

How does horsepower compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• brake horsepower vs. horsepower

Example Sentences

John Glenn weighed only 186 pounds, but we needed one-quarter million pounds of rocket fuel with thrust equal to 3.5 million horsepower to lift him into space and get him safely home again.

From Literature

In order for the Erebus to make its way through the thickest ice fields, the British Admiralty equipped the vessel with a fifteen-ton, twenty-five horsepower railroad locomotive engine.

From Literature

I have seen the horsepower listed at 14 and let me tell you, I have experienced all 14 of them.

From The Wall Street Journal

There are lots of ways to make horsepower but few sound as pretty.

From The Wall Street Journal

Please note also that if you want the full measure of horsepower and torque from either engine you have to use premium-grade gasoline.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dynamism
• electricity
• heat
• potential
• service
• strength