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piston |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Piston \Pis"ton\, n. [F. piston; cf It pistone piston, also pestone a large pestle; all fr L. pinsere pistum, to pound, to stamp. See {Pestle}, {Pistil}.] (Mach.) A sliding piece which either is moved by or moves against, fluid pressure. It usually consists of a short cylinder fitting within a cylindrical vessel along which it moves back and forth. It is used in steam engines to receive motion from the steam, and in pumps to transmit motion to a fluid; also for other purposes. {Piston head} (Steam Eng.), that part of a piston which is made fast to the piston rod. {Piston rod}, a rod by which a piston is moved or by which it communicates motion. {Piston valve} (Steam Eng.), a slide valve, consisting of a piston, or connected pistons, working in a cylindrical case which is provided with ports that are traversed by the valve. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: piston n : a part of a machine that has a plunging or thrusting motion [syn: {plunger}]
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