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

See Examples For:

piston rod

“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

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

As the piston rod is shortened there is less wear at the extreme end of the cylinder bore farthest from the crank, and the same remark applies to the guide bars.

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

The diameter of a piston rod is found in practice to range between one-sixth and one-tenth the diameter of the cylinder bore.

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

The piston, piston rod, cross head, connecting rod, crank, crank shaft, main shaft or driving shaft, and the fly wheel constitute the driving or power-transmitting mechanism.

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