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camshaft

American  
[kam-shaft, -shahft] / ˈkæmˌʃæft, -ˌʃɑft /

noun

  • camshafts
    plural
  1. Machinery. a shaft bearing integral cams.


camshaft British  
/ ˈkæmˌʃɑːft /

noun

  1. a shaft having one or more cams attached to it, esp one used to operate the valves of an internal-combustion engine

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of camshaft

First recorded in 1875–80; cam 1 ( def. ) + shaft


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.

See Examples For:

Another probe covers 289,000 Dodge Journey and Jeep Compass and Patriot small SUVs from 2016 due to 127 complaints about engine stalling due to crankshaft or camshaft sensor problems.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2022

The opening and closing of the valves that let air into the cylinder and exhaust gases out used to be regulated by a mechanical device operated by the engine’s camshaft.

From Economist ● Dec. 10, 2015

Just months later, Arkus-Duntov broke the 150 m.p.h. mark in a Corvette on the sands of Daytona Beach, using a camshaft design he had developed for his Ardun V-8 conversions.

From New York Times ● Jun. 22, 2012

It is all done with the use of electro-hydraulic controls of the inlet valves, in place of a camshaft.

From BBC ● May 20, 2012

The camshaft flies around the factory until a man unhooks it, attaches it to the engine block, growing eccentric now with fan blades, pipes, and spark plugs.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

The belt turns the camshafts that open the engine’s valves and can cause major engine damage if it fails.

From New York Times ● Apr. 3, 2021

The next hut over is stuffed with parts - steel wheels, choke rods, flywheels, camshafts.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 21, 2016

Many engines now have overhead camshafts with hydraulic camshaft actuators fed by electronic solenoids that depend on oil pressure to operate properly.

From New York Times ● Sep. 16, 2010

Still, that arena of pistons and camshafts can be just as fascinating as any other arcane craft, which is what drew me to Wayne Harrison’s new novel, “The Spark and the Drive.”

From Washington Post

All Liberty camshafts were cooled slowly from carbonizing heat and hardened by a single reheating to a temperature of from 1,380 to 1,430°F. and quenching in water.

From The Working of Steel Annealing, Heat Treating and Hardening of Carbon and Alloy Steel by Fred H. (Fred Herbert) Colvin

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