turbocharger

American

[tur-boh-chahr-jer] / ˈtɜr boʊˌtʃɑr dʒər /

noun

a supercharger that is driven by a turbine turned by exhaust gases from the engine.

turbocharger British

/ ˈtɜːbəʊˌtʃɑːdʒə /

noun

a centrifugal compressor which boosts the intake pressure of an internal-combustion engine, driven by an exhaust-gas turbine fitted to the engine's exhaust manifold

"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 turbocharger

First recorded in 1930–35; turbo- + (super)charger

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.

Today we’re going under the hood of the 2026 VW Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo to inspect VW’s new, high-output four-cylinder and meet its bravely engineered turbocharger.

From The Wall Street Journal

For 2026, the Tiguan line gets a dose of Fahrvergnügen in the form of a bigger, boostier turbocharger.

From The Wall Street Journal

Right on time, some buyers of early-production Tiguans are reporting issues associated with the evo5’s embiggened turbocharger.

From The Wall Street Journal

The 12Cilindri is naturally aspirated, meaning it doesn’t rely on a turbocharger to push air into the cylinders, an old-school approach credited with a more natural, open roar.

From The Wall Street Journal

It features a hand-built, 5.5 liter V-8 engine capable of roaring at 8,600 revolutions per minute without using a turbocharger or a battery-booster.

From Reuters

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