turbo

¹ American  

[tur-boh] / ˈtɜr boʊ /

noun

plural

turbos

1. turbine.

2. Informal. turbocharger.

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

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turbo- ² American  

1. a combining form representing turbine in compound words.

   turbojet.

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turbo- British  

combining form

1. of, relating to, or driven by a turbine

   turbofan

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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

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 smaller turbo has less ultimate performance at high rpm.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Audi wanted F1 to remove the MGU-H - the device that recovered energy from the turbo shaft - fearing it was too complex and they would never catch up if it was kept.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

The slight turbo lag and diffident throttle behavior at low speed goes away.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

That’s when I knew, Okay, she’s in turbo mode now.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Related Words

• airplane
• plane