: a rotary engine actuated by the reaction or impulse or both of a current of fluid (such as water, steam, or air) subject to pressure and usually made with a series of curved vanes on a central rotating spindle
Did you know?
The oldest and simplest form of turbine is the waterwheel, which is made to rotate by water falling across its blades and into buckets suspended from them. Hero of Alexandria invented the first steam-driven turbine in the 1st century A.D., but a commercially practical steam turbine wasn't developed until 1884; steam turbines are now the main elements of electric power stations. Jet engines are gas turbines. A turbojet engine uses a turbine to compress the incoming air that feeds the engine before being ejected to push the plane forward; a turboprop engine uses its exhaust to drive a turbine that spins a propeller. A wind turbine generates electricity by being turned by the wind; the largest now have vanes with a turning diameter of over 400 feet.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThe Abrams typically weighs nearly 80 tons, and has a gas-turbine engine that infamously guzzles fuel and would create an even greater logistical burden on Ukrainian forces, the U.S. official said. Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2022 The Utopia sticks with butterfly-opening doors and sits on alloy wheels—21 inches at the front and 22 at the back—with turbine shaped vanes to channel hot air away from the brakes. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 12 Sep. 2022 Biden administration officials said the plan will require a mile of spacing between each turbine, among other measures to mitigate environmental harm. Timothy Puko, WSJ, 11 May 2021 That turbine will not be back online until next year, likely in time for the 2021 hurricane season, Korban said. Jeff Adelson, NOLA.com, 18 Nov. 2020 Siemens Energy, which manufactures turbines that Nord Stream 1 uses, dismissed Gazprom's explanation for the shutdown, saying that turbine leaks can be fixed while gas flows. Paul Best, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2022 Biglow Canyon has never experienced a turbine fire.The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, 27 Aug. 2022 After being used for years to strengthen wind turbine blades or other structures, the resin can be recycled back into another turbine blade or downcycled into a composite material that can be used to make plastic products. Sophie Bushwick, Scientific American, 26 Aug. 2022 Each turbine has its own sensors that measure the direction and speed of the wind, enabling their blades to rotate as close to the wind as possible and capture the maximum amount of energy. David Abel, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
French, from Latin turbin-, turbo top, whirlwind, whirl, from turba confusion — more at turbid