crankshaft

American  

[krangk-shaft, -shahft] / ˈkræŋkˌʃæft, -ˌʃɑft /

noun

Machinery.

1. a shaft having one or more cranks, crank, usually formed as integral parts.

---

crankshaft British  

/ ˈkræŋkˌʃɑːft /

noun

1. a shaft having one or more cranks, esp the main shaft of an internal-combustion engine to which the connecting rods are attached

---

Etymology

Origin of crankshaft

First recorded in 1850–55; crank ¹ + shaft

Example Sentences

It was the crankshaft, which is a long metal rod that connects the engine to the propellers.

From Literature

Then, in January 2016, came the first "thermal incident" - a police car fire caused by the same crankshaft bearing issue that later affected PC Dumphreys' car.

From BBC

Engines can fail due to a crankshaft machining problem.

From Seattle Times

If you didn’t know a carburetor from a crankshaft, you could never be sure you weren’t getting ripped off.

From Washington Post

The company says magnetic material on a crankshaft position sensor wheel can come off over time, cutting off a signal and causing the engines to stall.

From Seattle Times