Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for afterburner. Search instead for afterburners.

afterburner

American  
[af-ter-bur-ner, ahf-] / ˈæf tərˌbɜr nər, ˈɑf- /

noun

  1. Aeronautics. a device placed within, or attached to the exit of, a jet-engine exhaust pipe to produce afterburning.

  2. a device for burning exhaust fumes from an internal-combustion engine, as of an automobile.


afterburner British  
/ ˈɑːftəˌbɜːnə /

noun

  1. a device in the exhaust system of an internal-combustion engine for removing or rendering harmless potentially dangerous components in the exhaust gases

  2. a system of fuel injection and combustion located behind the turbine of an aircraft jet engine to produce additional thrust

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of afterburner

First recorded in 1945–50; after + burner

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"It was quite shocking really. You do see flames called an afterburner, which they use to take off," Mr Simpson said.

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2021

Greco says the Air Force planned to track afterburner takeoffs, but didn’t announce what they would do if the estimates were off.

From Washington Times • Oct. 1, 2019

“The intercepting SU-27 made an additional pass, closing with the EP-3 and applying its afterburner while conducting a banking turn away.”

From Fox News • Nov. 5, 2018

It reminded me of the “Insane” mode in the Tesla, as if Nate had lit an afterburner.

From Washington Post • Apr. 3, 2016

When I tossed in the match, a cone of flame shot up with a whoosh like a jet afterburner.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "afterburner" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com