turbo

¹ American

[tur-boh] / ˈtɜr boʊ /

noun

turbine.
Informal. turbocharger.
an automobile powered by an internal-combustion engine equipped with a turbocharger.

turbo- ² American

a combining form representing turbine in compound words.

turbojet.

turbo- British

combining form

of, relating to, or driven by a turbine

turbofan

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of turbo¹

1655–65, in sense “tornado”; 1900–05 turbo for def. 1; in part < Latin turbō top, whirlwind, in part by shortening of turbocharged ( def. ) or turbocharger

Origin of turbo-²

turb(ine) + -o-

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sources say that stakeholders are open to discussing both a reduction in the amount of electrification and a change to the internal combustion engine, which is currently a 1.6-litre V6 turbo.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

And while it has made overtaking more common, the turbo button has also diminished the difficulty of passing in the eyes of purists.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

The way the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was implemented, economists flagged a turbo boost to income early in the year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

A friend’s parent calls him “Turbo,” and he was doing all kinds of turbo things when the cameras caught him in the act.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

“We started running at the same place, but you left me behind back by the jetty where it was like you pushed a turbo button or something. You run like a machine. It’s crazy.”

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023