Watt

James 1736-1819

British engineer and inventor who patented a much improved version of the steam engine (1769) and devised the unit of horsepower. The watt unit of power is named for him.

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watt, james in Culture

Watt, James

A Scottish engineer active in the eighteenth century. Watt invented the modern version of the steam engine.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.