Piston meaning
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.
noun
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.
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.
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.
noun
A valve mechanism in brass instruments for altering the pitch.
noun
A sliding valve moved in the cylinder of a brass instrument to change the pitch.
noun
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1894-1976; U.S. composer.
proper name
A solid cylinder or disk that fits snugly into a hollow cylinder and moves back and forth under the pressure of a fluid (typically a hot gas formed by combustion, as in many engines), or moves or compresses a fluid, as in a pump or compressor.
Origin of piston
- French from Italian pistone, pestone large pestle from pestare to pound, crush from Late Latin pistāre frequentative of Latin pīnsere, pīnsāre
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From French piston.
From Wiktionary