single-acting

American  

[sing-guhl-ak-ting] / ˈsɪŋ gəlˈæk tɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of a reciprocating engine, pump, etc.) having pistons accomplishing work only in one direction.

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single-acting British  

adjective

1. (of a reciprocating engine or pump) having a piston or pistons that are pressurized on one side only Compare double-acting

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Etymology

Origin of single-acting

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

In the year 1827, Perkins had attained working pressures, in a single-acting, single-cylinder engine, of upward of 800 pounds per square inch.

From A History of the Growth of the Steam-Engine by Thurston, Robert H.

In 1838 Barnett applied the principle of compression to a single-acting engine.

From Gas and Oil Engines, Simply Explained An Elementary Instruction Book for Amateurs and Engine Attendants by Runciman, Walter C.

Q.--in the double-acting engine the piston is pushed by the steam both ways, whereas in the single-acting engine it is only pushed one way?

From A Catechism of the Steam Engine by Bourne, John, C.E.

The engine is single-acting, making only one power stroke per revolution.

From Things To Make by Williams, Archibald

The advantage of the single-acting air cylinder over the double is that it compresses a volume of free air only once every revolution, hence there is a better chance to cool the air during compression.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 799, April 25, 1891 by Various