| spark plug n. 1. A device inserted in the head of an internal-combustion engine cylinder that ignites the fuel mixture by means of an electric spark. 2. Informal One who gives life or energy to an endeavor. |   cutaway view A. terminal B. ceramic insulation C. center electrode D. gap E. ground electrode |
spark plug
Noun
a device in an internal-combustion engine that ignites the fuel by producing an electric spark
| spark plug A device in the cylinder head of an internal-combustion engine that ignites the fuel mixture by means of an electric spark. Spark plugs consist of two electrodes that are separated by an insulator except at their tips. When high voltage electricity is fed to one electrode, it jumps across the gap from one tip to the other as a spark. The voltage required to generate a spark is directly proportional to the size of the gap; in a car engine it is about 18,000 volts. |  |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  spark plug - electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of an internal-combustion engine and ignites the gas by means of an electric sparkelectrical device - a device that produces or is powered by electricity ignition system, ignition - the mechanism that ignites the fuel in an internal-combustion engine |
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