steam engine

noun

: an engine driven or worked by steam
specifically : a reciprocating engine having a piston driven in a closed cylinder by steam

Examples of steam 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.
According to reports, crowds gathered to watch a special steam engine wrangle them into place. Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2025 My father would drive me to the Falls Road roundhouse where the old steam engines were arrayed in their stalls in contrast to the fast and sleek new trains at the nearby Pennsylvania and Mount Royal stations. Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2025 The steam engine exploded in 1879, destroying the mill and killing four men. Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2025 For example, the development of the steam engine informed our understanding of thermodynamics, which in turn enabled the creation of advanced semiconductors. Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for steam engine

Word History

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of steam engine was in 1751

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Steam engine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steam%20engine. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

steam engine

noun
: an engine driven by steam

More from Merriam-Webster on steam engine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!