heat engine

American  

noun

Thermodynamics.

1. a mechanical device designed to transform part of the heat entering it into work.

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heat engine British  

noun

1. an engine that converts heat energy into mechanical energy

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Etymology

Origin of heat engine

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heat engine

The concept is illustrated by the Carnot cycle, an idealized model that defines the maximum theoretical efficiency of a heat engine by carefully regulating the movement of heat between hot and cold regions.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

Depending on conditions, it can function as a refrigerator, act as a heat engine, or amplify thermal transport.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 29, 2026

“You can think of a hurricane as a heat engine where the ocean is the fuel … so giving it warmer water is basically like higher-octane fuel,” Hazelton said.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 4, 2023

Figure 15.8 Schematic representation of a heat engine, governed, of course, by the first law of thermodynamics.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

But it is one thing to show that the instrument is a heat engine, and quite another thing to explain in detail the manner in which it acts.

From Scientific Culture, and Other Essays Second Edition; with Additions by Cooke, Josiah Parsons