Wankel engine

noun

Wan·​kel engine ˈväŋ-kəl- How to pronounce Wankel engine (audio) ˈwaŋ- How to pronounce Wankel engine (audio)
: an internal combustion rotary engine that has a rounded triangular rotor functioning as a piston and rotating in a space in the engine and that has only two major moving parts

Examples of Wankel engine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Mazda began studying the Wankel engine's potential in 1960 and signed a technical agreement with the patent holders a year later. Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 1 Feb. 2023 Ultimately, high emissions and low fuel economy, inherent in the design, compounded by insurmountable reliability issues, eventually sent the Wankel engine out to pasture. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Wankel engine.' 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

Felix Wankel †1988 German engineer

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Wankel engine was in 1959

Dictionary Entries Near Wankel engine

Cite this Entry

“Wankel engine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Wankel%20engine. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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