combustor

noun

com·​bus·​tor kəm-ˈbə-stər How to pronounce combustor (audio)
: a chamber (as in a gas turbine or a jet engine) in which combustion occurs

called also combustion chamber

Examples of combustor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Would the combustor sustain a flame when 95 percent of the fuel mix is CO2? David Wagman, IEEE Spectrum, 30 May 2018 Catalytic stoves use a combustor for even better efficiency, whereas non-catalytic stoves use a series of air tubes, which is slightly less efficient. Hannah Jones, Country Living, 29 Sep. 2022 That combustor, still painted red from its U. days, is now in the San Rafael center, and Fry has a $5 million DOE grant to continue the research. Tim Fitzpatrick, The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 July 2022 Collectively, these 200-blade rotors—each molded from a single piece of carbon fiber and each fitted with its own combustor, turbine, and reduction gear—would generate in excess of 130,000 pounds of thrust. David W. Freeman, Popular Mechanics, 20 May 2021 At the center of each fan, is a combustor where fuel would mix with the bleed air and ignite. David W. Freeman, Popular Mechanics, 20 May 2021 Schmitt said the oxygen would be combined with coal into a stream of carbon dioxide and water inside a combustor. Randy Diamond, ExpressNews.com, 12 Aug. 2019 But the bulk of the carbon dioxide is reheated in the heat exchanger and used again in the combustor. David Roberts, Vox, 1 June 2018 Pratt is rolling out fixes this year for durability issues affecting a carbon seal and combustor. Richard Clough, courant.com, 22 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'combustor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

combust + -or entry 1

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of combustor was in 1945

Dictionary Entries Near combustor

Cite this Entry

“Combustor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combustor. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

combustor

noun
com·​bus·​tor kəm-ˈbəs-tər How to pronounce combustor (audio)
: a chamber (as in a jet engine) in which combustion occurs
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!