cylinder

noun

cyl·in·der | \ ˈsi-lən-dər

Definition of cylinder

1a : 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

on all cylinders

: with maximum effort or intensity : at full capacity or speed the economy is running on all cylinders

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Examples of cylinder in a Sentence

the cylinder of a revolver

Recent Examples on the Web

Its lightweight chassis and 174 hp four-cylinder engine is good for a 0-60 mph time in about 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 130 mph. — Fox News, "The Miami Police Department just got the coolest cop car ever," 28 Sep. 2018 Each three-cylinder engine displaces only 1 liter but makes 115 hp. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "Testing the Yamaha 210 FSH: The Boat That Blew Up the Formula," 31 Aug. 2018 On the auto side of things, standouts of the standouts included the 99-year-old Isotta Fraschini IM, a two-seat racer with spoked wheels and a pair of leather belts keeping the front hood atop the four-cylinder engine. — Mraz, Town & Country, "A Venetian Affair," 20 Dec. 2012 Engine size range from 18-25 hp and most come with a single cylinder with step-up models having a V twin. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "The Lawn Mower Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Buy the Right Mower," 22 Feb. 2019 With the 50th anniversary of the Manson murders in August of this year, Hollywood is firing on all cylinders, with a trio of films set to be released about Tate. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "The Trailer for Hilary Duff's 'The Haunting of Sharon Tate' Is Full Terror," 8 Jan. 2019 This is Downton running on all cylinders, with a ton of scintillating plotlines unfolding upstairs and down. — Tom Fitzgerald And Lorenzo Marquez, Town & Country, "The 10 Best Downton Abbey Episodes," 12 Sep. 2018 Emma completed her look with soft makeup, loose waves, and a metal cylinder bag with a Times Up ribbon tied on it. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Emma Stone's Nude Golden Globes Dress Has the Internet Stunned," 7 Jan. 2019 The compression ratio describes the volume of an engine cylinder when the piston is at the top versus the bottom of its travel. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Variable-compression engine meets crossover: Infiniti QX50 review," 8 Nov. 2018

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