jet engine

noun

: an engine that produces motion as a result of the rearward discharge of a jet of fluid

specifically : an airplane engine that uses atmospheric oxygen to burn fuel and produces a rearward discharge of heated air and exhaust gases see airplane illustration

Examples of jet engine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Airport and city leaders gathered at the top of a hill, as jet engines roared behind them, to bury a time capsule of the airport’s first 100 years, one of the final ceremonies of the institution’s centennial celebrations. — Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Brazil has the world’s second-largest reserves of rare earth elements, used in a wide range of products, including smartphones, electric vehicles, solar panels and jet engines. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

China has a virtual monopoly on these minerals, which are critical to making everything from cars and jet engines to smartphones and even the dye used in MRI machines. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

In response, Washington imposed new restrictions on jet engines and semiconductor design software. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

jet engine

noun

: an engine that produces motion as a result of the rearward discharge of a jet of fluid

especially : an aircraft engine that uses atmospheric oxygen to burn fuel and produces a rearward discharge of heated air and exhaust gases