turbo
noun
turbo
1 American
[tur-boh]
/ ˈtɜr boʊ /
noun
turbos
plural
-
Informal. turbocharger.
-
an automobile powered by an internal-combustion engine equipped with a turbocharger.
turbo-
2
American
turbo-
British
combining form
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
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.
See Examples For:
Opening track Are You Listening Yet rumbled along on an irresistible soca rhythm, while a sample of Underworld's Born Slippy gave Taste Back a much-needed turbo boost.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 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
A whirring sound starts—like some kind of turbo jet engine—and rises to a fever pitch.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
In June, Ford sold more F-150 pickups with its turbo- charged V-6 than those with V-8 engines for the first time since the 1980s.
From BusinessWeek ● Jul. 31, 2011
Henry Zoelly, a Swiss engineer, declared that the steam locomotive is lag ging "pitifully" in scientific progress and foresaw the development of a turbo- locomotive.
From Time Magazine Archive
A turbo engine is not only arguably more road-relevant, but is also more efficient than a naturally aspirated one, which means less fuel, even if turbos and their associated architecture are heavy and complicated.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
But the formula still needs to be attractive to manufacturers, and most performance road cars these days have turbos.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
Unlike conventional turbos, the e-turbos spool to maximum almost instantly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
No replacement for displacement, sure, but the lovely thing about turbos is how easily you can modify them to increase engine power and even improve fuel economy.
From The Verge ● May 3, 2022
The door was closed, and the Terrans braced themselves under the low roof as the engine started up with a whine of worn turbos.
From The Yillian Way by Laumer, Keith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
