afterburner

noun af·ter·burn·er \ -ˌbər-nər \

Definition of afterburner

1 :a device incorporated into the tailpipe of a turbojet engine for injecting fuel into the hot exhaust gases and burning it to provide extra thrust

2 :a device for burning or catalytically destroying unburned or partially burned carbon compounds in exhaust (as from an automobile)

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Recent Examples of afterburner from the Web

FILE-- In this Dec. 2001 file photograph, an F-16 takes off with afterburners glowing loaded with live Sidewinder missiles from the Air National Guard base in South Burlington, Vt.

— Washington Post, "More delays for low-flying fighters over western Maine," 19 Aug. 2017
The outfielder turned on the afterburners, covering 40 or 50 feet in the span of a few seconds before leaping, planting a foot in the wall and reaching out with his glove to make a basket catch.

— zach buchanan, Cincinnati.com, "Reds recap: For Sal Romano, it was bad, but it could have been worse," 8 Aug. 2017
The refueling was meant to test the F-35's ability to take on fuel at a heavier weight and higher altitude while using afterburners.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "New Footage Shows the Perils of F-35 Flight Testing," 12 July 2017
Nearing the conclusion of 12½ grueling laps at Hayward Field, the 20-year-old hit the afterburners and took the lead on the final straightaway, then held off his closest threat by 0.38 seconds.

— vytas mazeika, The Mercury News, "Fisher earns Stanford’s first NCAA men’s outdoor title since 2012," 12 June 2017
Other features of fifth generation fighters include active electronic scanning array radars and engines powerful enough to cruise above the speed of sound without afterburners.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "'Sixth Generation' Fighters Jets Are Already Taking Shape," 27 Mar. 2017
With afterburners glowing, the jets made a low pass over the Village of Heritage.

— Orange County Register, "Memories of Auto Club Speedway as it turns 20 years old," 22 Mar. 2017
Breedlove speaks almost bashfully when reminded of Noble's threat, reminding you of his own big stick: a 44-foot vehicle with a J-79 General Electric jet engine (with afterburner) from a Navy F-4 Phantom fighter aircraft.

— david diamond, WIRED, "The Fast American Hero," 1 Nov. 1996

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'afterburner.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.