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horsepower

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Horsepower is defined as the power that a horse gives when pulling, and it is used informally to mean power, or is the power needed to raise 550 pounds a distance of one foot in one second or the power needed to move 33,000 pounds a distance of one foot in one minute.

(noun)

An example of horsepower is the informal term for the ability of a person or thing to move.
An example of horsepower is the measurement of the pulling ability of a building crane.
An example of horsepower is the measurement of the power of a motor.

See horsepower in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

the power exerted by a horse in pulling
pl. horsepower a basic unit of power in the FPS system, equal to the power needed to raise a weight of 550 pounds a distance of 1 foot in 1 second or a weight of 33,000 pounds a distance of 1 foot in 1 minute (746 watts or 42.41 British thermal units per minute): used esp. for measuring the power of motors or engines: abbrev. hp
Informal power: this car doesn't have the horsepower to climb steep hills

Origin: first adopted by James Watt

See horsepower in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. horse·power

Abbr. hp A unit of power in the U.S. Customary System, equal to 745.7 watts or 33,000 foot-pounds per minute.
The power exerted by a horse in pulling.
Informal Effective strength: political horsepower; computer horsepower.

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