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.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents released Tuesday that fluid can leak from the brake master cylinder.

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

Pressure created in the master cylinder is transmitted to four so-called slave cylinders.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

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

From Reuters • Jan. 11, 2012

“When I have free time, and parts. You wouldn’t happen to know where I could get my hands on a master cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit?” he added jokingly.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

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