jet engine

American  

noun

1. an engine, as an aircraft engine, that produces forward motion by the rearward exhaust of a jet of fluid or heated air and gases.

---

jet engine British  

noun

1. a gas turbine, esp one fitted to an aircraft

---

jet engine Scientific  

1. An engine, generally a gas turbine, that develops thrust from a jet of hot gases produced by burning fuel in a combustion chamber.

---

Etymology

Origin of jet engine

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

For one, if even more jet engine parts get diverted to produce power turbines, that could worsen the shortage in the jet-engine market, which is already very tight.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

If a data center wants to roar like a jet engine all night, that’s the deal.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025

It consists of a large jet engine placed on top of a tube the length of a London bus.

From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025

Maybe other jet engine makers like GE Aerospace, Safran, Rolls-Royce, or RTX could find some new business with AI hyperscalers.

From Barron's • Dec. 11, 2025

The thing looked like a glider with a jet engine, its wings twice as long as its body, so long they drooped when the plane was at rest.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin