Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

combustion chamber

American  

noun

Machinery.
  1. a chamber, as in an engine or boiler, where combustion occurs.


combustion chamber British  

noun

  1. an enclosed space in which combustion takes place, such as the space above the piston in the cylinder head of an internal-combustion engine or the chambers in a gas turbine or rocket engine in which fuel and oxidant burn

"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

combustion chamber Scientific  
  1. An enclosure in which combustion, especially of a fuel or propellant, is initiated and controlled.

  2. See also internal-combustion engine


Etymology

Origin of combustion chamber

First recorded in 1850–55

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:

However, during engine operation, moving parts such as pistons require constant lubrication, making it unavoidable that small amounts of engine oil enter the combustion chamber.

From Science Daily May 13, 2026

The need for cooling meant redesigning the combustion chamber itself, and incorporating a new air-to-water heat exchanger.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 12, 2026

Researchers introduced boron powder into the combustion chamber using multiple nozzles that produced shock waves that slowed the air intake.

From Washington Times Feb. 22, 2023

“It’s a combustion chamber of trauma — that’s what Memphis is,” said Mr. Franklin, 36.

From New York Times Feb. 3, 2023

The tube plate is made to extend to the bottom of the combustion chamber, and the furnace is riveted to the tube plate.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 2 "Bohemia" to "Borgia, Francis" by Various

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training