internal-combustion engine

in·ter·nal-com·bus·tion engine (n-tûrnl-km-bschn)

n.

An engine, such as an automotive gasoline piston engine or a diesel, in which fuel is burned within the engine proper rather than in an external furnace, as in a steam engine.

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internal-combustion engine

Noun

an engine in which power is produced by the explosion of a fuel-and-air mixture within the cylinders

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internal-combustion engine  (n-tûrnl-km-bschn) An engine whose fuel is burned inside the engine itself rather than in an outside furnace or burner. Gasoline and diesel engines are internal-combustion engines, as are gas turbine engines such as turbojets. Compare steam engine.

internal-combustion engine cycles of a four-stroke gasoline-fueled engine: A. intake stroke: the piston moves down, drawing air and fuel into the cylinder; B. compression stroke: the piston moves up, compressing and heating the air and fuel mixture; C. power stroke: the hot air and fuel mixture ignites, forcing the piston down; D. exhaust stroke: the piston moves up, forcing the exhaust gases out of the cylinder

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

internal-combustion engine - a heat engine in which combustion occurs inside the engine rather than in a separate furnace; heat expands a gas that either moves a piston or turns a gas turbine ICE diesel engine, diesel motor, diesel - an internal-combustion engine that burns heavy oil cylinder block, engine block, block - a metal casting containing the cylinders and cooling ducts of an engine; "the engine had to be replaced because the block was cracked" four-stroke engine, four-stroke internal-combustion engine - an internal-combustion engine in which an explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder on the first stroke and is compressed and ignited on the second stroke; work is done on the third stroke and the products of combustion are exhausted on the fourth stroke gas engine - an internal-combustion engine similar to a gasoline engine but using natural gas instead of gasoline vapor gasoline engine, petrol engine - an internal-combustion engine that burns gasoline; most automobiles are driven by gasoline engines heat engine - any engine that makes use of heat to do work force feed, force-feed lubricating system, lubricating system, pressure feed, pressure-feed lubricating system - mechanical system of lubricating internal combustion engines in which a pump forces oil into the engine bearings motorboat, powerboat - a boat propelled by an internal-combustion engine automotive vehicle, motor vehicle - a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not run on rails outboard motor, outboard - internal-combustion engine that mounts at stern of small boat poppet, poppet valve - a mushroom-shaped valve that rises perpendicularly from its seat; commonly used in internal-combustion engines radial engine, rotary engine - an internal-combustion engine having cylinders arranged radially around a central crankcase reciprocating engine - an internal-combustion engine in which the crankshaft is turned by pistons moving up and down in cylinders rotary engine - an internal-combustion engine in which power is transmitted directly to rotating components self-starter - an electric starting motor that automatically starts an internal-combustion engine supercharger - compressor that forces increased oxygen into the cylinders of an internal-combustion engine valve-in-head engine - internal-combustion engine having both inlet and exhaust valves located in the cylinder head