as in pipe
a long hollow cylinder for carrying a substance (as a liquid or gas)
a penstock carried water for the waterwheel
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penstock
That plate sealed the opening of the penstock (water delivery tube) and holds back water from the reservoir.
—
Logan Smith, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the water agency, the failure involved a 15-foot-diameter section of penstock pipe between a butterfly valve and a concrete thrust block before the pipe extended down a steep hillside to the powerhouse.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Water floods down each penstock at 100 cubic metres per second.
—Chris Baraniuk, Wired News, 18 Dec. 2025
Species stocked in Lake Powell for sporting purposes swam the reservoir for decades without creating a clear threat to the river below until the warm surface water sank nearer the hydropower intakes, called penstocks.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Brenda Burman, general manager of the Central Arizona Project, presented a diagram showing the dam’s eight large tubes, called penstocks, that water normally passes through, as well as the smaller outlet pipes that enable water releases at low reservoir levels.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Logan Smith, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the water agency, the failure involved a 15-foot-diameter section of penstock pipe between a butterfly valve and a concrete thrust block before the pipe extended down a steep hillside to the powerhouse.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Water floods down each penstock at 100 cubic metres per second.
—Chris Baraniuk, Wired News, 18 Dec. 2025
Species stocked in Lake Powell for sporting purposes swam the reservoir for decades without creating a clear threat to the river below until the warm surface water sank nearer the hydropower intakes, called penstocks.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Brenda Burman, general manager of the Central Arizona Project, presented a diagram showing the dam’s eight large tubes, called penstocks, that water normally passes through, as well as the smaller outlet pipes that enable water releases at low reservoir levels.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penstock
Noun
-
Following the 2021 oil spill when a pipe ruptured and spewed oil off Huntington Beach, Foley said the responsible company set up a claims form where people could go online, fill out the claims and submit the documentation and proof of receipts.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
-
This is where a lot of smells emanate from over time as material gets trapped in the pipes.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The Persian Gulf is not merely a conduit for hydrocarbons.—
John W.H. Denton AO,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
-
Skyrocketing oil costs have come because of the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has attacked various vessels and oil tankers passing through the conduit.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
These tubes serve as stabilizing cables that allow flexible fibrous trunks to withstand hurricane-force winds.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
-
Humidity is funnelled through tubes and directed toward furniture upholstery infusing it with lasting fragrance.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Three temporary rock barriers have been constructed across South Delta channels to maintain water levels for agricultural activities in the South Delta.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 5,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
-
The baseball game that Huang will be attending has been confirmed by the team, while the TV channel confirmed his upcoming appearance on the variety show.—
Justina Lee,Lisa Kim,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penstock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penstock. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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