crankcase

[ krangk-keys ]

/ ˈkræŋkˌkeɪs /

noun

(in an internal-combustion engine) the housing that encloses the crankshaft, connecting rods, and allied parts.

Nearby words

crank letter, crank out, crank up, crank-sided, crank-up, crankcase, crankle, crankly, cranko, crankpin, crankshaft

Origin of crankcase

First recorded in 1875–80; crank¹ + case²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for crankcase

With the crankcase, they did not go all the way to the modern two-piece form but instead retained the one-piece construction.
The Wright Brothers' Engines and Their Design|Leonard S. Hobbs.
This type of fastening actually strengthened the crankcase in contrast to the usual method.
The First Airplane Diesel Engine: Packard Model DR-980 of 1928|Robert B. Meyer
I just put a connecting-rod through my crankcase, growled the man.
The Flying Reporter|Lewis E. (Lewis Edwin) Theiss
Although the crankcase had shown itself to be structurally weak, this could have been cared for by proper strengthening.
The Wright Brothers' Engines and Their Design|Leonard S. Hobbs.

Magnalium takes the place of aluminum in the crankcase, because it is not only lighter but stronger and can be cast very thin.
Flying Machines|W.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell

British Dictionary definitions for crankcase

crankcase

/ (ˈkræŋkˌkeɪs) /

noun

the metal housing that encloses the crankshaft, connecting rods, etc, in an internal-combustion engine, reciprocating pump, etc

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