Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A device used in internal-combustion engines to produce an explosive mixture of vaporized fuel and air.
  • noun A small hole in the side of a bong or water pipe that is stopped with a finger and then quickly unstopped as a person is inhaling to force smoke out of the drawing end of the pipe.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Chem.) An apparatus in which coal gas, hydrogen, or air is passed through or over a volatile hydrocarbon, in order to confer or increase illuminating power.
  • noun One that carburets; specif., an apparatus in which air or gas is carbureted, as by passing it through a light petroleum oil. The carburetor for a gasoline engine is usually either a surface carburetor, or alternatively a float carburetor (called also float-feed carburetor, or spray carburetor). In the former air is charged by being passed over the surface of gasoline. In the latter a fine spray of gasoline is drawn from an atomizing nozzle by a current of air induced by the suction of the engine piston, the supply of gasoline being regulated by a float which actuates a needle valve controlling the outlet of the feed pipe. Alcohol and other volatile inflammable liquids may be used instead of gasoline.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun US A device in an internal combustion engine where fuel is vaporized and mixed with air prior to ignition.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun mixes air with gasoline vapor prior to explosion

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From carburet.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word carburetor.

Examples

  • I use the brush first rapped with a cleaning patch soaked in carburetor cleaner.

    Live from the SHOT Show: New Gun Reviews 2006

  • KC - he does! you outed yourself by using the word carburetor, you know.lol. anonymous - my sentiments, exactly.

    One Man's Pan The Curious Holts 2009

  • To the reservoir is attached the carburetor, which is connected to the motor by a pipe.

    Scientific American Supplement, No. 1082, September 26, 1896 Various

  • After googling "carburetor," I discovered my car doesn't have one.

    SFGate: Top News Stories Special home@sfchronicle.com (Regina Hope Sinsky 2010

  • After googling "carburetor," I discovered my car doesn't have one.

    SFGate: Top News Stories Special home@sfchronicle.com (Regina Hope Sinsky 2010

  • We examine whether rebuilding today's "carburetor" is worth it ...

    unknown title 2009

  • We examine whether rebuilding today's "carburetor" is worth it ...

    unknown title 2009

  • The gasoline comes in here from the tank behind -- this is called the carburetor, it has a jet to vaporize the gasoline, and the vapour is sucked into each of these cylinders in turn when the piston moves -- like this. "

    Project Gutenberg Complete Works of Winston Churchill Winston Churchill 1909

  • The gasoline comes in here from the tank behind -- this is called the carburetor, it has a jet to vaporize the gasoline, and the vapour is sucked into each of these cylinders in turn when the piston moves -- like this. "

    The Dwelling Place of Light — Volume 1 Winston Churchill 1909

  • The gasoline comes in here from the tank behind -- this is called the carburetor, it has a jet to vaporize the gasoline, and the vapour is sucked into each of these cylinders in turn when the piston moves -- like this. "

    The Dwelling Place of Light — Complete Winston Churchill 1909

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.