turbine

American  

[tur-bin, -bahyn] / ˈtɜr bɪn, -baɪn /

noun

turbines plural

1. any of various machines having a rotor, usually with vanes or blades, driven by the pressure, momentum, or reactive thrust of a moving fluid, as steam, water, hot gases, or air, either occurring in the form of free jets or as a fluid passing through and entirely filling a housing around the rotor.

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turbine British  

/ ˈtɜːbɪn, -baɪn /

noun

1. any of various types of machine in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid is converted into mechanical energy by causing a bladed rotor to rotate. The moving fluid may be water, steam, air, or combustion products of a fuel See also reaction turbine impulse turbine gas turbine

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turbine Scientific  

/ tûr′bĭn,-bīn′ /

1. Any of various machines in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid, such as water, steam, or gas, is converted to rotary motion. Turbines are used in boat propulsion systems, hydroelectric power generators, and jet aircraft engines.

2. See also gas turbine

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• turbines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of turbine

1815–25; < French < Latin turbin-, stem of turbō something that spins, e.g., top, spindle, whirlwind; akin to turbid

Explanation

A turbine is a device used to generate energy as a flowing liquid causes a bladed rotor to move around. A water wheel is a turbine. There are many ways we get energy, such as fossil fuels and solar power. Another is a gadget called a turbine. A turbine uses the power of water (or another liquid) to move a wheel, generating energy. A windmill is also an example of a turbine, though it uses wind instead of liquid. Other turbines use gas or steam to generate energy. Ever since the 1800s, engineers have used many sorts of turbines to help satisfy our ever-increasing energy needs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turbine turbines

Shares in the gas turbine manufacturer fell by as much as 9% as investors worry about whether the orders its U.S. peer announced are binding, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

From the top of a wind turbine nearly 100 metres above the ground, Grzegorz Witek, a coal miner, gazes at the horizon.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

The yard at the Plaswire Ltd site in Lurgan, County Armagh, is covered with wind turbine parts and other kinds of large-scale industrial materials looking for an alternative ending.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

"First of all, there were difficulties with transporting the wind turbine components," said Yuriy Fedak, a director at Eco-Optima.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

All the creature’s unease had vanished: he gave a guttural burr in his throat, a turbine of delight.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Combined-cycle plants, which are a grid workhorse and the most efficient gas plant, capture waste heat from turbines to generate more electricity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Manufacturers face yearslong backlogs for gas turbines, essentially big jet engines that generate power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Whitelee was built on Eaglesham Moor and contains footpaths and tracks for walkers to wander between the turbines as well as a visitor centre.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

From building wind turbines to reinforcing power grids for rising demand from electric cars, transitioning from fossil fuels to greener economies will require a massive increase in metal extraction.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

The Institute’s tidal turbines were considered the best in the entire world; they were also capable of producing enough energy to power a hundred Institutes, let alone one.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Related Words

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