turbine

noun

tur·​bine ˈtər-bən  -ˌbīn 

: a rotary engine actuated by the reaction or impulse or both of a current of fluid (such as water, steam, or air) subject to pressure and usually made with a series of curved vanes on a central rotating spindle

Did you know?

The oldest and simplest form of turbine is the waterwheel, which is made to rotate by water falling across its blades and into buckets suspended from them. Hero of Alexandria invented the first steam-driven turbine in the 1st century A.D., but a commercially practical steam turbine wasn't developed until 1884; steam turbines are now the main elements of electric power stations. Jet engines are gas turbines. A turbojet engine uses a turbine to compress the incoming air that feeds the engine before being ejected to push the plane forward; a turboprop engine uses its exhaust to drive a turbine that spins a propeller. A wind turbine generates electricity by being turned by the wind; the largest now have vanes with a turning diameter of over 400 feet.

Examples of turbine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Howmet supplies major aerospace manufacturers, including GE Aerospace, and has a leading position in the market for high-performance turbine components. — Steve Grasso, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026

Once airborne, wind passes through a duct in the structure and drives turbines that generate electricity. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026

The construction crew tasked the crane with lifting lots of heavy components, but the heaviest was a section of the turbine tower weighing—get this—826,733 pounds. — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 6 Nov. 2026

Counting among the biggest losers on Election Day was Elon Musk, who is currently facing a lawsuit over allegations that the gas turbines at his Colossus data center in Memphis, Tennessee, are emitting pollution. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin turbin-, turbo top, whirlwind, whirl, from turba confusion — more at turbid

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing turbine

• gas turbine
• steam turbine
• wind turbine

Kids Definition

turbine

noun

tur·​bine ˈtər-bən 

-ˌbīn

: an engine whose central driving shaft is fitted with a series of blades spun around by the pressure of a fluid (as water, steam, or air)

Etymology

from French turbine "turbine," from Latin turbin-, turbo "top (for spinning), whirlwind"