reciprocating engine

American

noun

any engine employing the rectilinear motion of one or more pistons in cylinders.

reciprocating engine British

noun

an engine in which one or more pistons move backwards and forwards inside a cylinder or cylinders

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of reciprocating engine

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Liberty Energy is adapting its oil and gas equipment, specifically gas-fired reciprocating engines, to provide on-site power for data centers.

From Barron's

Caterpillar, mainly known for construction equipment, is seeing a spurt in demand from data centers for its turbines and reciprocating engines.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company will use natural gas-powered reciprocating engines and batteries to provide off-grid electricity for data centers.

From Barron's

Caterpillar CAT 1.25%increase; green up pointing triangle , which has long provided power in remote locations for mining and oil-field operations, is seeing rising demand for its smaller turbines and reciprocating engines.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023