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

Exercise 55:—Make the necessary working drawings for a gland and stuffing-box for a locomotive engine piston rod 2½ inches in diameter, to the dimensions given in the table.

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

The particular piston there illustrated is made of brass, and is secured to a wrought-iron piston rod by a brass nut.

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