crankshaft

[ krangk-shaft, -shahft ]

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

Origin of crankshaft

1
First recorded in 1850–55; crank1 + shaft

Words Nearby crankshaft

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use crankshaft in a sentence

  • Now motor car engines of whatever type, and whether water-cooled or air-cooled, had fixed cylinders and a revolving crankshaft.

    The Romance of Aircraft | Lawrence Yard Smith
  • The piston rod transmits the power to the crankshaft, a long rotating piece of steel.

    The Romance of Aircraft | Lawrence Yard Smith
  • Cast-iron pistons are used, and are connected to the crankshaft in the same manner as with the Gnome and Le Rhone engines.

    A History of Aeronautics | E. Charles Vivian
  • The crankshaft carried a pinion gearing with an internally toothed wheel on the transmission shaft which carried the air-screw.

    A History of Aeronautics | E. Charles Vivian
  • Lubrication was by means of two pumps, one scavenging and one suction, oil being fed under pressure from the crankshaft.

    A History of Aeronautics | E. Charles Vivian

British Dictionary definitions for crankshaft

crankshaft

/ (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

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