turbofan

[tur-boh-fan]

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noun

a jet engine having a large impeller that takes in air, part of which is used in combustion of fuel, the remainder being mixed with the products of combustion to form a low-velocity exhaust jet.

Origin of turbofan

First recorded in 1940–45; turbo- + fan¹

Also called turbofan engine.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for turbofan

rocket, fanjet, pulsejet, ramjet, turbofan, turbojet, turboprop

British Dictionary definitions for turbofan

turbofan

noun

Also called: high bypass ratio engine a type of by-pass engine in which a large fan driven by a turbine and housed in a short duct forces air rearwards around the exhaust gases in order to increase the propulsive thrust

an aircraft driven by one or more turbofans

the ducted fan in such an engine

Also called (for senses 1, 2): fanjet

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

turbofan in Science

turbofan

[tûr′bō-făn′]

A type of gas turbine in which the fan driving air into a turbojet also forces additional air around the outside of the turbine, combining it with the exhaust of the turbojet to provide thrust. Turbofans are quieter than simple turbojets and somewhat more fuel efficient, and are widely used in commercial aircraft.