Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Any of various machines in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid is converted to mechanical power by the impulse or reaction of the fluid with a series of buckets, paddles, or blades arrayed about the circumference of a wheel or cylinder.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A pair of turbines fastened on one shaft, either back to back or face to face, an arrangement which balances the pressure due to the weight of the driving water-column, and releases the stresses on the footsteps or thrust-bearings: usual in modern high-powered installations.
- noun A water-wheel driven by the impact or reaction of a flowing stream of water, or by impact and reaction combined.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A water wheel, commonly horizontal, variously constructed, but usually having a series of curved floats or buckets, against which the water acts by its impulse or reaction in flowing either outward from a central chamber, inward from an external casing, or from above downward, etc.; -- also called
turbine wheel . - noun A type of rotary engine with a set of rotating vanes, diagonally inclined and often curved, attached to a central spindle, and obtaining its motive force from the passage of a fluid, as water, steam, combusted gases, or air, over the vanes. Water turbines are frequently used for generating power at hydroelectric power stations, and steam turbines are used for generating power from coal- or oil-fired electric power stations. Turbines are also found in jet engines, and in some automobile engines.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun any of various
rotary machines that use thekinetic energy of acontinuous stream offluid (aliquid or agas ) toturn ashaft
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun rotary engine in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid is converted into mechanical energy by causing a bladed rotor to rotate
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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What I said was that if the specification for "turbine" is false, then we have nothing to hang the design inference on, it may be designed, but there is no empirical reason for saying so since there is no specification.
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Oh come now, a toy steam turbine is not the same thing.
North on Adaptation, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
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A steam powered turbine is most efficient when run at close to full power.
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The towers require dehumidifiers that run even when the turbine is not generating.
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A steam powered turbine is most efficient when run at close to full power.
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Fundamentalist writes: dearieme: a toy steam turbine is not the same thing.
North on Adaptation, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
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Gibbs quipped that when it came to other renewable projects, "I doubt a small wind turbine is in the offing."
The White House is going solar Juliet Eilperin 2010
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Based upon meteorological data for the Al Quoz site, the 5 MW horizontal axis wind turbine is capable of operating for 1,600 hours per year, while the two solar systems could operate for 2,400 hours per year, adding up to a yearly output of approximately 20,000 MWh.
Eco Skyscraper Generates Power Using Three Renewable Energy Systems | Inhabitat 2010
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The bladeless wind turbine is completely enclosed in a relatively small compact unit.
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The towers require dehumidifiers that run even when the turbine is not generating.
tankhughes commented on the word turbine
In power plant talk, I've noticed people pronouncing turbine the way I would pronounce turban. I say the 2nd syllable more like it's an endive combine harvester from Irvine. Maybe a familiarity thing leading to erosion? American Heritage pronunciation (below) says it like them, Macmillan says it like me.
January 17, 2023
ruzuzu commented on the word turbine
I've been trying to figure out how I would normally say this (in the middle of nebraksa). I say "wind turbine" as if it rhymes with "turban," but if I were talking about a "turbine engine," then it would rhyme with the way Craig Morgan sings "combine" in the song "International Harvester."
January 20, 2023
alexz commented on the word turbine
I remember watching videos of the Oroville dam crisis when their spillway broke. One youtuber was a pilot and he would sometimes switch from the Aviation 'turbin' to the hydro dam's turBINES .. but mostly use his preferred 'turbin' pronounciation.
January 21, 2023