Wankel engine

noun

Wan·kel engine ˈväŋ-kəl-

ˈwaŋ-

: an internal combustion rotary engine that has a rounded triangular rotor functioning as a piston and rotating in a space in the engine and that has only two major moving parts

Word History

Etymology

Felix Wankel †1988 German engineer

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Wankel engine was in 1959

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Wankel engine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Wankel%20engine. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

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