This page gathers the 108 dictionary entries belonging to the domain “Mechanical”, as labelled by Wiktionary. Each word leads to its full entry: definitions, etymology, pronunciation, examples.
- air cell noun A prechamber in an indirect injection internal combustion engine.
- air hose noun A hose for conveying compressed air within a pneumatic system.
- backshell noun Part of an electrical conductor or other electrical device, such as a cable clamp or adapter, that is threaded onto the rear connector…
- ball bearing noun A bearing assembly which uses spherical bearing balls as the rolling elements, usually consisting of two ballraces (rings).
- ballrace noun A ring with a groove in which rolling elements (such as balls) ride, forming part of a rolling-element bearing (for example, a ball…
- barreling noun A defect in which a testpiece is deformed into a barrel-like shape.
- beam noun The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
- bearing noun A mechanical device that supports another part or reduces friction.
- bevel gear noun A kind of gear in which the two wheels working together lie in different planes and have their teeth cut at right angles to the surfaces of…
- blastpipe noun A pipe forming part of the exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders up into the smokebox…
- blucket noun A type of turbine blade where the inner portion of the blade is driven by expanding exhaust gases from the engine core, while the outer…
- boat lift noun A mechanism used for raising and lowering boats on a canal vertically from one water level to another, while keeping them afloat.
- bolt noun A sliding mechanism to chamber and unchamber a cartridge in a firearm.
- bottom dead center noun A position in the cycle of a piston engine wherein the piston is at the bottommost point in its stroke. In a four-stroke cycle, BDC occurs…
- bottom out verb Of a suspension or similar device, to strike the lower mechanical stop and lose the ability to buffer further downward motion.
- brake fade noun Partial or total loss of braking force with prolonged continuous or repetitive application of a heavy vehicle's brakes, due to the effects…
- brake shoe noun An element of a drum brake into which the friction-producing brake lining is attached.
- brakepipe noun A continuous pipe or hose filled with high-pressure air and running the length of a train, used to recharge the train's brake reservoirs…
- bucket noun A turbine blade driven by hot gas or steam.
- bushing noun A type of plain bearing, a cylindrical lining designed to reduce friction and wear inside a hole, often used as a casing for a shaft, pin…
- butt noun A joint where the ends of two objects come squarely together without scarfing or chamfering.
- chain-driven adj Referring to the transmission of power by means of a suitable endless chain, such as a bicycle chain.
- channel noun A structural member with a cross section shaped like a squared-off letter C.
- chuck noun A mechanical device that holds an object firmly in place, for example holding a drill bit in a high-speed rotating drill or grinder.
- core lock noun Seizure of a turbine engine due to misalignment and loss of clearance between stationary and rotating components, caused by different…
- cotter noun A pin or wedge inserted through a slot to hold machine parts together.
- crank axle noun An axle formed in the manner of a crankshaft in an internal-combustion engine, having one or two cranked sections driven from one or two…
- crosshead noun A metal beam that connects a piston to a connecting rod in an engine.
- damper noun A shock absorber.
- dead air noun Air that is subject to little or no ventilation, thus, little to no air exchange.
- deadband noun Backlash in a mechanical system.
- detonation noun Engine knocking, a type of improper combustion in gasoline piston engines.
- diesel engine noun An internal combustion engine of piston engine type that operates using the Diesel cycle, with diesel fuel being sprayed into the hot…
- diesel-hydraulic adj Powered by a diesel engine via a hydraulic transmission.
- differential steering noun Steering by means of driving the wheels or treads on one side of a vehicle faster than those on the other side, or driving the wheels or…
- dipstick verb To measure the level of a fluid using a dipstick.
- documentation noun Documents that explain the operation of a particular machine or software program.
- drivetrain noun The mechanical parts of the powertrain, the gears and shafts, that connect the engine to the wheels in a vehicle.
- dropping point noun The temperature at which a grease passes from a semi-solid to a liquid state under specific test conditions.
- dry heater noun A torpedo engine powered by the burning of fuel with compressed air or oxygen, which does not inject water into the combustion chamber for…
- equalising beam noun A steel beam linking the suspension of two or more adjacent axles of a vehicle with at least two axles, especially on railway locomotive…
- fitting noun A (generally small) component or part of a device or machine, especially one that is standardized and replaceable; specifically, a…
- fluid flywheel noun A type of coupling for transmitting power from the engine of a vehicle to the transmission, using a torque converter.
- flywheel noun A rotating mass used to maintain the speed of a machine within certain limits while the machine receives or releases energy at a varying…
- forced induction noun The process of blowing compressed air into the cylinders of an internal combustion piston engine to increase the compression ratio and…
- four-way cock noun A cock connected with four pipes or ports, and having two or more passages in the plug, by which the adjacent pipes or ports may be made to…
- free surface effect noun The tendency of liquids and liquid-like aggregates to move in response to changes in the attitude of a craft's cargo holds, decks, or…
- gorge noun The groove of a pulley.
- gusset noun A kind of bracket, or angular part, fastened in the angles of a structure to give strength or stiffness; especially, the part joining the…
- handbrake noun A brake in a vehicle, set by hand, and usually locking on until released by hand, enabling its use when parked.
- head gasket noun The gasket which seals a cylinder head to an engine block in several types of engine, including steam engines and internal combustion…
- high time adj Having been in use for a (relatively) long time or a large number of operating cycles; nearing retirement or replacement age.
- hydrostatic lock noun A condition that arises when a device which compresses gases seizes up because of the infiltration of liquid, which prevents further…
- idle noun The lowest selectable thrust or power setting of an engine.
- ignition noun A system for activating combustion in a combustion engine.
- index verb To use a mechanism to move an object to a precise location.
- induction noun The delivery of air to the cylinders of an internal combustion piston engine.
- inlead verb To lead into; conduct.
- interphase noun An indistinct region in the interface between two substances in composite materials.
- journal noun the part of a rotating shaft or axle that rests on the bearing
- keyway noun The recessed part of a keyed joint, in which the key resides.
- lash noun Looseness between fitted parts, either intentional (as allowance) or unintentional (from error or wear).
- lockup noun A condition in which one or more of a vehicle's wheels suddenly cease to rotate due to the application of excessive brake torque, causing…
- low-powered adj Possessing little power or capacity.
- luff verb To alter the vertical angle of the jib of a crane so as to bring it level with the load.
- mechanical advantage noun The ratio of the output force produced by a machine (especially a simple machine) to the applied input force.
- motion noun A piece of moving mechanism, such as on a steam locomotive.
- null adj Neutral.
- odontometer noun An odontograph.
- ol noun open line (open circuit, no continuity).
- overdrive noun A gear ratio higher than 1:1: one in which a single revolution of the driving element corresponds to more than one revolution of the driven…
- overshift verb To overshoot when changing gears.
- pinion noun The smallest gear in a gear train.
- planer noun A large machine tool in which the workpiece is traversed linearly (by means of a reciprocating bed) beneath a single-point cutting tool.…
- pushrod noun A rod in a piston engine that actuates rocker arms above the cylinder head.
- quill noun A quill drive, having a hollow shaft with another movable shaft inside it.
- rack noun A bar with teeth on its face or edge, to work with those of a gearwheel, pinion, or worm, which is to drive or be driven by it.
- radiator noun A device that lowers engine coolant temperature by conducting heat to the air, through metal fins.
- reduction drive noun A device which reduces the input rotational speed to a lower output speed, and can also increase torque.
- retainer noun A retaining valve.
- retaining valve noun A device that retains some air pressure in a train's air brake cylinders even when the automatic brake valve is set to the fully-released…
- retarder noun A device for slowing down large trucks, lorries, buses, shunted railway wagons.
- reverse gear noun A gear (setting) in a vehicle's transmission which, when selected, makes the vehicle move backward. (Denoted with symbol R on a shifter's…
- rocker arm noun A valvetrain component that typically transfers the motion of a pushrod in an overhead valve internal combustion engine to the…
- rodding noun A system of rods etc. used for movement.
- run in adj (sometimes comparable) Having been run in to seat the parts.
- runout noun Deviation of the axis of rotation of a rotating object (especially a milling cutter or workpiece) relative to that object's centerline; the…
- shaft horsepower noun In an engine, the power measured in horse power delivered to a rotating shaft, which could be in a turbine, or transmission.
- ship lift noun A device consisting of a structural platform which can be used to launch ships by lowering them into the water, or to lift them into dry…
- shock noun A shock absorber (typically in the suspension of a vehicle).
- shock absorber noun A mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp any sudden shock impulse and dissipate kinetic energy; usually consists of a combination…
- spin noun An abnormal condition in journal bearings where the bearing seizes to the rotating shaft and rotates inside the journal, destroying both…
- sprocket noun A toothed wheel that enmeshes with a chain or other perforated band.
- swivel noun A piece, such as a ring or hook, attached to another piece by a pin, in such a manner as to permit rotation about the pin as an axis.
- tap noun A connection made to an electrical or fluid conductor without breaking it; a tapping.
- time history noun A technique used in the field of structural dynamics to evaluate the behavior of structures under different loads and conditions, involving…
- top dead center noun A position in the cycle of a piston engine wherein the piston is at the topmost point in its stroke. In a four-stroke cycle, TDC occurs…
- torque converter noun A device that converts the rotational output of a prime mover into work by driving a rotational load. A torque converter functions as a…
- trunk piston noun In a single-acting engine, an elongated hollow piston, open at the end, in which the end of the connecting rod is pivoted. The piston rod…
- undershift verb To undershoot when changing gears.
- unport verb To flow away from, and, thus, fail to enter, its intake or drain port.
- utters noun Unwanted depressions or other marks on the surface of an object caused when a tool is pressed too hard or vibrates against the surface.
- V4 noun An internal combustion engine with four cylinders in two banks of two in a V-shaped formation.
- valve gear noun The mechanism of a steam engine that operates the inlet and exhaust valves to admit steam into the cylinder and allow exhaust steam to…
- vapor lock noun A problem mostly affecting gasoline-fueled internal combustion engines, where the liquid fuel changes state from liquid to gas while still…
- Vickers hardness noun The hardness of a material according to the Vickers hardness test, based on its ability to resist plastic deformation from a standard…
- wastegate noun A valve that allows exhaust gases to bypass an engine's turbocharger, in order to keep from overspeeding the turbocharger rotor or driving…
- wet heater noun A torpedo engine where water is injected into the combustion chamber alongside fuel and compressed air or oxygen, cooling the engine and…