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
The Watt steam engine once turned boiling water heat into motion.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
For instance, as energy scaled during the first Industrial Revolution thanks to steam engines, skilled labor remained scarce.
—Ravi Kumar, Time, 25 Aug. 2025
The Scottish inventor James Watt invented his cylindrical steam engine in 1769.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
The steam engine was the progenitor of the first industrial revolution, followed by the invention of electricity and the third was the advent of digital computers.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for steam engine
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.
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
For instance, as energy scaled during the first Industrial Revolution thanks to steam engines, skilled labor remained scarce.
—Ravi Kumar, Time, 25 Aug. 2025
The Scottish inventor James Watt invented his cylindrical steam engine in 1769.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
The steam engine was the progenitor of the first industrial revolution, followed by the invention of electricity and the third was the advent of digital computers.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
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 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share