turbofan

American  

[tur-boh-fan] / ˈtɜr boʊˌfæn /

noun

1. 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.

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turbofan British  

/ ˈtɜːbəʊˌfæn /

noun

1. 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

2. an aircraft driven by one or more turbofans

3. the ducted fan in such an engine

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turbofan Scientific  

/ tûr′bō-făn′ /

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of turbofan

First recorded in 1940–45; turbo- + fan ¹

Compare meaning

How does turbofan compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• turbofan vs. turbojet
• turboprop vs. turbofan

Example Sentences

An F-15 has two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 or 229 turbofan engines.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

Aircraft around the world have been steadily getting cleaner since 1969 when the first high-bypass turbofan engines were used on the new Boeing 747 aircraft.

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2024

They employed a turbofan in the condensation chamber to increase the recovery of desorbed water to more than 90%.

From Science Daily • Dec. 5, 2023

It is equipped with four turbofan engines capable of producing 40,440 pounds of thrust each, with a maximum gross takeoff weight of 585,000 pounds, according to the Air Force.

From Scientific American • Sep. 14, 2023

The GEnx turbofan wasn’t an easy sell to GE management either.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 13, 2020