turbocharger

[tur-boh-chahr-jer]

noun

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

turbocharger

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of turbocharger¹

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

Example Sentences

The 12Cilindri is naturally aspirated, meaning it doesn’t rely on a turbocharger to push air into the cylinders, an old-school approach credited with a more natural, open roar.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It features a hand-built, 5.5 liter V-8 engine capable of roaring at 8,600 revolutions per minute without using a turbocharger or a battery-booster.

Read more on Reuters

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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That cutting-edge technology was called a turbocharger.

Read more on New York Times

Not even the General Motors Heritage Center’s archives — with enough documents to stuff a file drawer nearly three miles long — hint at why not one but two turbocharger projects were greenlighted in the late 1950s.

Read more on New York Times