turbo
turbo — noun
1. a device made of a small turbine that uses the hot gases leaving an engine to sp
a device made of a small turbine that uses the hot gases leaving an engine to spin. As the turbine spins, it forces extra air into the engine, which helps the fuel burn more strongly and creates more power. Often called a turbo for short.
Pim took his car to the garage because the turbo was making a strange whistling noise.
the turbo + was making + noise — detecting a fault
A turbo forces extra air into the engine, which lets the fuel burn more completely.
Caleb upgraded the turbo on his diesel truck to pull heavy trailers up steep hills.
Min showed Anjali how the turbo is connected to the exhaust system.
- turbocharger
the full-length formal term; turbo is the everyday clipping
- supercharger
also forces air into an engine, but is driven by a belt from the engine's crankshaft, not by exhaust gases
用法筆記
In casual conversation, drivers and mechanics almost always say turbo instead of the full word turbocharger. The longer form appears mainly in technical manuals and official product names.
常見錯誤
2. a car or other vehicle that has a turbocharger fitted to its engine, so that it
a car or other vehicle that has a turbocharger fitted to its engine, so that it can go faster or pull more weight more easily than a normal vehicle of the same size.
Noa saved for two years to buy a red turbo with leather seats.
a + [colour] + turbo — describing a vehicle
Second-hand turbos can be expensive to maintain if the previous owner drove them hard.
Camila's first car was a turbo, and she loved how fast it accelerated on the highway.
That grey turbo parked outside belongs to a rally driver from Japan.
- turbocharged car
more formal and explicit; turbo alone is the casual shortening
- performance car
broader category — includes cars with other power-boosting technology, not just turbochargers
用法筆記
Frequently used with colour or modifier: a red turbo, a diesel turbo, a fast turbo. The vehicle type is usually clear from context, so the word alone stands for the whole car.
常見錯誤
turbo — adjective
1. describes an engine or a vehicle that is fitted with a turbocharger. A turbo eng
describes an engine or a vehicle that is fitted with a turbocharger. A turbo engine produces more power than a normal engine of the same size because extra air is pushed into the cylinders.
Baraka bought a turbo version of the hatchback for better hill-climbing power.
turbo version — common compound noun
Most turbo engines today use an intercooler to keep the intake air temperature low.
turbo engine — common collocation
The turbo diesel engine in Ravindra's van gives excellent fuel economy on long trips.
Jason prefers turbo models because they maintain power better at high altitudes.
- turbocharged
the full predicate form of the adjective
- forced-induction
technical engineering term covering both turbochargers and superchargers
- naturally aspirated
describes an engine that draws air in at normal atmospheric pressure without a turbo or supercharger
用法筆記
Always placed before a noun — you cannot say 'the engine is turbo' in standard English. Use turbocharged as the predicate form: 'the engine is turbocharged.'
常見錯誤
turbo — combining form
1. used as a prefix to describe a device in which a turbine is linked directly to t
used as a prefix to describe a device in which a turbine is linked directly to the part it drives, without a gearbox or other speed-changing mechanism in between.
A turboshaft engine connects the power directly to the helicopter rotor without a gearbox.
technical compound: turboshaft
The turbocompressor unit in this ship runs at over 20,000 revolutions per minute.
Engineers designed a new turbopump for the rocket's fuel delivery system.
The new turbocompressor design doubled the airflow without increasing the engine size.
用法筆記
Nearly always appears as the first part of a compound noun in engineering contexts. The most common compounds are turboshaft, turbocompressor, and turbopump. Learners at B2 level usually only need to recognise these forms rather than produce them.
2. used as a prefix to indicate that a machine or system includes a turbine as its
used as a prefix to indicate that a machine or system includes a turbine as its main working part, or is built around the principle of a turbine.
Modern jet airliners use turbofan engines because they are quieter than older designs.
technical compound: turbofan
The first turbojet aircraft flew in Germany in 1939, changing aviation history forever.
A turboprop engine is lighter than a pure jet, making it ideal for small passenger planes.
The factory installed a turbogenerator to turn waste heat into electricity for the production line.
用法筆記
This combining form appears in aviation and power-generation vocabulary. Common compounds include turbofan, turbojet, turboprop, and turbogenerator. Learners encounter these most often in reading about aircraft engines.