cylinder

noun

cyl·​in·​der ˈsi-lən-dər 

1

a

: the surface traced by a straight line moving parallel to a fixed straight line and intersecting a fixed planar closed curve

b

: a solid or surface bounded by a cylinder and two parallel planes cutting all its elements

especially : right circular cylinder see Volume Formulas Table

2

: a cylindrical body or space: such as

a

: the turning chambered breech of a revolver

b(1)

: the piston chamber in an engine

(2)

: a chamber in a pump from which the piston expels the fluid

c

: any of various rotating members in a press (such as a printing press)

especially : one that impresses paper on an inked form

d

: a cylindrical clay object inscribed with cuneiform inscriptions

cylindered

ˈsi-lən-dərd 

adjective

Phrases

on all cylinders

: with maximum effort or intensity : at full capacity or speed

the economy is running on all cylinders

Examples of cylinder in a Sentence

the cylinder of a revolver

Recent Examples on the Web

He was placed in an iron lung, a large metal cylinder that varies air pressure to stimulate breathing, according to his autobiography. —Mira Cheng, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024

That year in suburban Detroit, a suspect described as a distributor of recreational nitrous oxide was successfully prosecuted for improperly labeling nitrous oxide cylinders. —Patrick Smith, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2024

Nearby, her students are hustling around on a bright blue tarp, rolling out heavy cylinders of compressed gas and fiddling with boxes of electronics. —Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024

Gas pumps have selfie points where customers can take a photo with cardboard cutouts of the prime minister alongside a larger-than-life red cylinder. —Sushmita Pathak, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2024

In the early 2000s, On-Air Dare, an apparent kids’ version of Fear Factor, came to fruition featuring some All That cast members, who each week would be placed in a glass cylinder and one would be randomly chosen to participate in a dare. —Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 17 Mar. 2024

Unable to breathe on his own, he was placed in an iron lung, a large metal cylinder that varies air pressure to stimulate breathing. —Alexandra Banner, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024

Whole neighborhoods were devastated in the northeastern part of the city, where gas cylinders were turned into makeshift bombs and tossed into mosques. —Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024

As the swing shift gets underway, Emmett Jaime pries inked plates off cylinders. —Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French cylindre, from Latin cylindrus, from Greek kylindros, from kylindein to roll; perhaps akin to Greek kyklos wheel — more at wheel

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing cylinder

• cylinder head
• cylinder seal
• graduated cylinder
• right circular cylinder
• vascular cylinder

Kids Definition

cylinder

noun

cyl·​in·​der ˈsil-ən-dər 

1

: a geometric shape composed of two parallel faces of identical size and shape (as circles) and a curved surface that completely connects their borders

2

: a body (as the piston chamber of an engine, the barrel of a pump, or the part of a revolver which holds the cartridges) shaped like a cylinder

cylindrical

sə-ˈlin-dri-kəl

adjective

cylindrically

-dri-k(ə-)lē

adverb