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piston

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The definition of a piston is a sliding valve that is snugly fitted into a cylinder in an engine and which moves up and down because of pressure, or a sliding valve in the cylinder of a brass instrument.

(noun)

An example of a piston is the part of a car that compresses fluids and creates fluid pressure.
An example of a piston is the valve in a trumpet that changes the notes played by pushing down on one of three pistons.

See piston in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

the snug-fitting engine part that is forced back and forth within a cylinder by the pressure of combustion, steam, etc. and a reciprocating connecting rod
Music a sliding valve moved in the cylinder of a brass instrument to change the pitch

Origin: Fr < It pistone < pistare, to pound, crush < LL, freq. of L pinsere, to pound, beat: see pestle

Piston, Walter 1894-1976; U.S. composer

See piston in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A solid cylinder or disk that fits snugly into a larger cylinder and moves under fluid pressure, as in a reciprocating engine, or displaces or compresses fluids, as in pumps and compressors.
Music A valve mechanism in brass instruments for altering the pitch.

Origin:

Origin: French

Origin: , from Italian pistone, pestone, large pestle

Origin: , from pestare, to pound, crush

Origin: , from Late Latin pistāre

Origin: , frequentative of Latin pīnsere, pīnsāre

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