STEAM ENGINE Definition & Meaning

steam engine

noun

an engine worked by steam, typically one in which a sliding piston in a cylinder is moved by the expansive action of the steam generated in a boiler.

steam-engine

noun

an engine that uses the thermal energy of steam to produce mechanical work, esp one in which steam from a boiler is expanded in a cylinder to drive a reciprocating piston

steam engine

An engine in which the energy of hot steam is converted into mechanical power, especially an engine in which the force of expanding steam is used to drive one or more pistons. The source of the steam is typically external to the part of the machine that converts the steam energy into mechanical energy.
Compare internal-combustion engine

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Other �y��vlog Forms

��ٱ𲹳�-��g��Ա� adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of steam engine¹

First recorded in 1745–55

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He highlighted an example from history - James Watt is synonymous with the steam engine, even though he improved it rather than invented it.

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The whistle of a train interrupts the tourist chatter, and a steam engine pulling a long line of freight carriages slowly chugs across the railway bridge from Russia to North Korea.

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Once they arrived, inventions like the steam engine and indoor plumbing likely helped the insects travel further and get cozy living indoors, where they are most commonly found today.

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It sat next to a steam engine dubbed “Old Dinah” that eventually replaced the mule teams.

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Keeping up with the pace of technology has challenged Congress since the steam engine and the cotton gin transformed the nation’s industrial and agricultural sectors.

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