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pistons

  • plural
    of piston.
    piston
    noun
    a disk or cylindrical part tightly fitting and moving within a cylinder, either to compress or move a fluid collected in the cylinder, as air or water, or to transform energy imparted by a fluid entering or expanding inside the cylinder, as compressed air, explosive gases, or steam, into a rectilinear motion usually transformed into rotary motion by means of a connecting rod.

Example Sentences

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"They were equipped with a metal saw and cut through the pistons that held the frames of Renoir's works," he said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

If the timing chain slips or breaks—which is inevitable given enough time—the pistons will hit the valves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

The technology uses the bobbing floaters to compress pistons, which push hydraulic fluid into storage tanks located nearby on land.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2025

If the workings of his engine were carefully concealed, you could see the pistons pumping and sparks flying when Nadal took to court.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2024

That took the pressure out of Leo’s pistons.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan