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.

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jet engine British  

noun

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

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of jet engine

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jet engine

It’s a big deal for the jet engine maker.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

Reaching Mach 5 involves the use of a so-called ramjet, which is similar to a traditional jet engine but doesn’t have any moving parts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

He said designing the turbine, which kept as much of the original jet engine features as possible, was a roughly 18-month undertaking.

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

Leaves rustling in the wind are about 10 decibels; a jet engine is about 120 decibels.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones