Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

turbocharger

American  
[tur-boh-chahr-jer] / ˈtɜr boʊˌtʃɑr dʒər /

noun

  1. a supercharger that is driven by a turbine turned by exhaust gases from the engine.


turbocharger British  
/ ˈtɜːbəʊˌtʃɑːdʒə /

noun

  1. a centrifugal compressor which boosts the intake pressure of an internal-combustion engine, driven by an exhaust-gas turbine fitted to the engine's exhaust manifold

"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 turbocharger

First recorded in 1930–35; turbo- + (super)charger

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:

Right on time, some buyers of early-production Tiguans are reporting issues associated with the evo5’s embiggened turbocharger.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 12, 2026

Barnes’ truck spent a week at Banks’ garage, where a new cold air intake, a new exhaust system and a replacement intercooler was installed along with a turbocharger upgrade.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 13, 2021

Those devices crippled the turbocharger often enough to render it largely useless.

From New York Times Aug. 26, 2021

ABB’s turbocharger business could raise the most money for the Zurich-based company, with an expected price tag of $1.5 to $2 billion.

From Reuters Nov. 19, 2020

With the coronavirus, which Gates has called “the most dramatic thing ever in my lifetime by a lot,” his approach is to inject a turbocharger of money at many different levels.

From Seattle Times May 26, 2020

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training