donkey engine

noun — 2 senses

donkey engine

noun
1

Historical A steam-powered winch, once widely used in logging operations, also found in the mining and maritime industries.

2

Historical Any of a class of machines that used donkeys as a source of power to an output shaft or sheave.

Related terms
pony engine, steam engine, iron horse

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.