piston engine
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of piston engine
First recorded in 1905–10
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.
The hope is that eventually such a drone could fly farther and run quieter than one powered by a piston engine.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Alexander Shkolnik is founder of LiquidPiston, a company attempting a nearly impossible feat: developing a liquid-fuel-powered alternative to the traditional piston engine.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
“Almost like we didn’t go from all piston engine and diesel cars to all electric cars,” he said.
From Reuters • Nov. 20, 2020
The company is working on an advanced hybrid design capable of vertical takeoff and highway driving using electric motors powered by batteries, along with a piston engine turning a pusher propeller during forward flight.
From New York Times • Aug. 22, 2014
In some ways a jet is easier to fly than a plane with a piston engine and a propeller.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
