piston rod

American  

noun

1. a rod communicating the rectilinear motion of a piston to the small end of a connecting rod or elsewhere.

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piston rod British  

noun

1. the rod that connects the piston of a reciprocating steam engine to the crosshead

2. a less common name for a connecting rod

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Etymology

Origin of piston rod

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

“The right hand whipping like a piston rod which has broken through the crankcase, or like a baseball bat demolishing a pumpkin,” Norman Mailer, a ringside witness, recalled in an essay.

From New York Times • Jul. 23, 2013

It won�t predict catastrophic failures, such as a broken piston rod or valve stem, but it�s like having a thorough medical checkup.

From Time Magazine Archive

The loud noise that Abbey and I had heard was the outboard engine throwing a piston rod, though we didn’t know that at the time.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

The brake piston rod carries at its end two links which attach to the arms attached to the brakes.

From Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II by Rose, Joshua

With the aid of sketches explain how a piston rod is made to work steam-tight through the end of the cylinder.

From An Introduction to Machine Drawing and Design by Low, David Allan