combustion engine

noun

: an engine that derives its motive force from the energy of combustion

Examples of combustion engine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The idea of being on two wheels, on a saddle that sits upon enough fuel to set you on fire, a combustion engine that’s made out of a thousand moving parts ... the road, the ability to be one with the elements ... New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2024 The European Union has set carmakers a 2035 deadline to end sales of new petrol combustion engine cars on the continent. Jessica Bateman, WIRED, 7 Jan. 2025 Electric motors are compact and don't need much cooling compared to a combustion engine, and there's no exhaust to worry about. Ars Technica, 25 Feb. 2025 Foreign firms hesitate to invest in U.S. manufacturing due to policy instability and shrinking demand for combustion engine cars. Christopher S. Tang, Baltimore Sun, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for combustion engine

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of combustion engine was in 1886

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Cite this Entry

“Combustion engine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combustion%20engine. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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