master cylinder

American

noun

the hydraulic pump of an automotive braking system that contains a cylinder and one or two pistons, is actuated by the brake pedal, and supplies hydraulic fluid under pressure to the brakes at each wheel.

master cylinder British

noun

a large cylinder in a hydraulic system in which the working fluid is compressed by a piston enabling it to drive one or more slave cylinders See also slave cylinder

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Documents say dealers will replace the master cylinder and front brake booster if needed.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2022

“Several complaints allege repair facilities diagnosed the problem as brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder to the brake booster.”

From New York Times • Mar. 4, 2016

The master cylinder has a 2.00-cm diameter and the slave has a 24.0-cm diameter.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

The SUVs may have been outfitted with a faulty brake master cylinder reservoir cap.

From Reuters • Jan. 11, 2012

“Anyway, he said that if I told you something, he would get me that master cylinder I need,” he confessed with a sheepish grin.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023