Dictionary.com

horsepower

[ hawrs-pou-er ]
/ ˈhɔrsˌpaʊ ər /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for horsepower on Thesaurus.com
noun
a foot-pound-second unit of power, equivalent to 550 foot-pounds per second, or 745.7 watts.
Informal. the capacity to achieve or produce; strength or talent: The university's history faculty is noted for its intellectual horsepower.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of horsepower

First recorded in 1800–10; horse + power

Words nearby horsepower

horse opera, horse parlor, horse pistol, horseplay, horseplayer, horsepower, horsepower-hour, horsepox, horse race, horse racing, horseradish
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to horsepower

dynamism, electricity, heat, potential, service, strength, effort, violence, energy, force, intensity, weight, application, burn, conductivity, current, friction, gravity, juice, kilowatts

How to use horsepower in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for horsepower

horsepower
/ (ˈhɔːsˌpaʊə) /
noun
an fps unit of power, equal to 550 foot-pounds per second (equivalent to 745.7 watts)
a US standard unit of power, equal to 746 watts
Abbreviation: HP, h.p
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

Scientific definitions for horsepower

horsepower
[ hôrs′pou′ər ]
A unit that is used to measure the power of engines and motors. One unit of horsepower is equal to the power needed to lift 550 pounds one foot in one second. This unit has been widely replaced by the watt in scientific usage; one horsepower is equal to 745.7 watts.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for horsepower

horsepower

A unit of power equal to about 746 watts.

notes for horsepower

The horsepower is used to measure the power of engines.

notes for horsepower

This term was coined by James Watt, who invented a new type of steam engine in the eighteenth century. Watt found that the horse could do a certain amount of work per second; when he sold his steam engines, this measurement allowed him to estimate the worth of an engine in terms of the number of horses it would replace. Therefore, a six-horsepower engine was capable of replacing six horses.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK