combustor

American

[kuhm-buhs-ter] / kəmˈbʌs tər /

noun

Aeronautics.

the apparatus in a ramjet or other jet engine for initiating and sustaining combustion, consisting of the igniter, fuel-injection system, combustion chamber, and flameholder.

combustor British

/ kəmˈbʌstə /

noun

the combustion system of a jet engine or ramjet, comprising the combustion chamber, the fuel injection apparatus, and the igniter

"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 combustor

First recorded in 1940–45; combust(ion) + -or ²

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.

With a catalytic "combustor" on the turbine that burns gas more efficiently, the power train will produce what is, by EPA standards, "zero emissions."

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023