as in pipe
a long hollow cylinder for carrying a substance (as a liquid or gas)
a penstock carried water for the waterwheel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of penstock
Provide point protection for Balch Camp PG&E hydro-electric and residential facilities, two powerhouses, Balch communication reflector, penstock and valve houses, and associated power distribution lines.
—
Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Brenda Burman, general manager of the Central Arizona Project, presented a diagram showing the dam’s eight large tubes, called penstocks, that water normally passes through, as well as the smaller outlet pipes that enable water releases at low reservoir levels.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The penstock flows powered the turbines that turned shafts activating the top-side generators.
—Charles R. Morris, WSJ, 21 June 2018
The reservoir can also be lowered by discharges through the dam’s power plant, but one of the two power plant outlets, known as penstocks, was shut down for routine maintenance of turbines.
—Ralph Vartabedian, latimes.com, 10 May 2017
Equipment: An intake gate called a penstock, valves and pressure gauges, turbine, switchgear, inverter, and electronics.
—Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 6 Feb. 2017
Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Brenda Burman, general manager of the Central Arizona Project, presented a diagram showing the dam’s eight large tubes, called penstocks, that water normally passes through, as well as the smaller outlet pipes that enable water releases at low reservoir levels.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The penstock flows powered the turbines that turned shafts activating the top-side generators.
—Charles R. Morris, WSJ, 21 June 2018
The reservoir can also be lowered by discharges through the dam’s power plant, but one of the two power plant outlets, known as penstocks, was shut down for routine maintenance of turbines.
—Ralph Vartabedian, latimes.com, 10 May 2017
Equipment: An intake gate called a penstock, valves and pressure gauges, turbine, switchgear, inverter, and electronics.
—Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 6 Feb. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penstock
Noun
-
The National Park Service closes the North Rim in winter, in part because the historic Grand Canyon Lodge was built for summer, with shallow pipes that would freeze in winter.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Check out other gaming options in our best PC games roundup, and swing by our 2025 video game calendar to see what other titles are coming down the pipe later this year.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Only the means, the conduits of misinformation, and the overall enshittification have changed.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Gilmour’s set—simultaneously a gesture to Fascist architecture, a conduit to nowhere, and a scatological joke—shores up the production in several ways.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Specifically, they have been designed to explore lava tubes or underground tunnels formed by ancient volcanic activity that may exist on the moon.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Oct. 2025
-
While it hasn't been made mandatory, drivers are encouraged to wear the cooling vest that features tubes.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And consider elevating your home, or moving it back and away from channels that may carry water.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The new subscription streaming offering will feature a selection of live channels and on-demand programming, designed to put all of the network’s video offerings in one place.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penstock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penstock. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share