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piston ring

noun
  1. a metallic ring, usually one of a series, and split so as to be expansible, placed around a piston in order to maintain a tight fit, as inside the cylinder of an engine.
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Origin of piston ring

First recorded in 1865–70
Also called packing ring, ring.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for piston ring

Historical Examples

  • This was probably done to reduce vibration and the problem of piston-ring sealing.

    The First Airplane Diesel Engine: Packard Model DR-980 of 1928

    Robert B. Meyer

British Dictionary definitions for piston ring

piston ring

noun
  1. a split ring, usually made of cast iron, that fits into a groove on the rim of a piston to provide a spring-loaded seal against the cylinder wall
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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