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
In the 1890s, textile mills across New England replaced steam engines with electric motors.
—
Dave Grow, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
In 1865, William Stanley Jevons observed that when the Watt steam engine made coal use more efficient—decreasing the amount required to a task—coal consumption actually skyrocketed.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 17 June 2026
The flames damaged the train station radio house building between the New Orleans Square depot and a water tower used to refill the steam engines.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 9 June 2026
True, in Jevons’ original example, Watt’s steam engine made coal more productive, and Britain consumed more coal, not less.
—Christopher Marquis, Time, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for steam engine
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Dave Grow, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
In 1865, William Stanley Jevons observed that when the Watt steam engine made coal use more efficient—decreasing the amount required to a task—coal consumption actually skyrocketed.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 17 June 2026
The flames damaged the train station radio house building between the New Orleans Square depot and a water tower used to refill the steam engines.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 9 June 2026
True, in Jevons’ original example, Watt’s steam engine made coal more productive, and Britain consumed more coal, not less.
—Christopher Marquis, Time, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for steam engine
Cite this Entry
“Steam engine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steam%20engine. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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