Automotive Engineering Glossary

noun a regular journey around a particular place

• The electrical circuit was designed to efficiently distribute power throughout the building.
• I think we need to check the circuit breaker because the lights keep flickering.
• I heard the band is going on a circuit tour around the country.
• She felt like she was stuck in a never-ending circuit of work, eat, sleep, repeat.

noun a toothed wheel that engages with another toothed wheel or rack in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion

• The cogwheel is an essential component in the machinery system.
• Make sure the cogwheel is properly lubricated to avoid any issues.
• I can't believe the cogwheel got jammed again, what a pain!
• In the grand scheme of things, we are all just small cogwheels in the wheel of life.

verb to come into violent contact; crash

• The two cars collided at the intersection, causing significant damage.
• I saw those two cyclists collide on the street yesterday.
• The skateboarder totally collided with the railing and wiped out.
• Their opposing views on the issue collided during the meeting.

noun a crash or conflict between two objects or entities

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• The two cars were involved in a serious collision on the highway.
• There was a collision between a truck and a motorcycle on the street.
• The collision between the skateboarder and the bicyclist was gnarly.
• The collision of ideas in the meeting led to a breakthrough in innovation.

noun a person who holds eccentric or odd beliefs

verb to turn a crank in order to start or operate a machine

adjective eccentric or odd in behavior

• The mechanic used a crank to turn the engine over.
• I had to crank up the volume on the radio to hear the music.
• He's always cranking out new ideas for the business.
• She really knows how to crank up the intensity in her workouts.

noun the action of one surface or object rubbing against another

• The friction between the two parties has hindered progress in the negotiations.
• There's always some friction between siblings when sharing a room.
• I can feel the friction between them whenever they're in the same room.
• The friction between tradition and progress is evident in this debate.

noun the act of gently touching or overlapping something

verb to move or flow with a gentle, rippling sound

adjective describing something that is continuously touching or overlapping

• The waves were lapping gently against the shore.
• I love sitting by the beach and listening to the waves lapping.
• The dog was lapping up the water from his bowl.
• The runner was lapping the other competitors on the track.

noun a failure of a gun or explosive to fire correctly

verb to fail to fire correctly

• The engine misfired due to a faulty spark plug.
• My plan to surprise her completely misfired.
• His attempt to flirt with her misfired and he ended up embarrassing himself.
• The comedian's joke misfired and fell flat with the audience.

noun a pin or bolt on which another part pivots

• The pintle is a crucial component in the design of the hinge.
• Make sure you tighten the pintle on the gate so it swings properly.
• I have no idea what this pintle thing is supposed to do.
• The pintle of trust must be firmly in place for a relationship to work.

noun a substance that propels or drives forward

adjective relating to or capable of propelling

• The rocket was fueled by a highly efficient propellant.
• The fuel that powers the rocket is called propellant.
• Make sure you have enough juice in the propellant tank before takeoff.
• His enthusiasm was the propellant that drove the project forward.

noun the opposite or contrary of something

verb to move backwards or in the opposite direction

adjective opposite or contrary in position, direction, order, or nature

adverb in a way that is opposite or contrary

• The scientist conducted an experiment to determine if the reaction could be reversed.
• I accidentally reversed the order of the steps in the recipe.
• He tried to reverse out of the parking spot but ended up hitting the car behind him.
• Sometimes in life, we need to take a step back in order to reverse our course and move forward in a better direction.

noun a continuous deep, resonant sound

verb present participle of the verb 'rumble', which means to make a continuous deep, resonant sound

• The rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance.
• I woke up to the rumbling of a passing train.
• The rumbling of my stomach told me it was time for lunch.
• The rumbling of discontent among the workers was growing louder.

noun a person who runs, especially in a specified way or competitively

adjective used to describe something related to running or someone who runs frequently

• The professional runner broke the world record in the marathon.
• The runner dude totally crushed the race!
• That runner is a total speed demon on the track.
• She's always the runner in our group, constantly juggling multiple tasks at once.

noun the rate at which someone or something moves or operates

verb to move quickly

adjective fast or quick in motion or progress

adverb quickly or at a high rate of motion

• The car reached a high speed on the highway.
• I can't believe how fast that car was going!
• That car was zooming down the road!
• His mind was working at lightning speed to solve the problem.

noun a pit or hollow in which liquid collects, especially one in the floor of a building to collect drainage

• The sump in the basement collects excess water and prevents flooding.
• Make sure to keep an eye on the sump pump to avoid any water damage.
• I had to roll up my pants and wade through the sump to fix the leak.
• The sump of emotions overflowed as she finally let out all her pent-up feelings.

noun a twisting force that tends to cause rotation

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• The amount of torque required to turn the bolt was calculated using the formula.
• I had to use a lot of torque to loosen the stubborn nut.
• He put some serious torque on the wrench to get the job done.
• His argument had a lot of torque behind it, convincing everyone in the room.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• An acyclic machine is a type of computational device that does not contain any cycles or loops in its processing structure.
• You won't find any loops in an acyclic machine - it's all straight paths and no backtracking.
• An acyclic machine is like a one-way street for data processing - no going back once you've moved forward.
• Think of an acyclic machine as a train track that only goes in one direction - there's no turning back once you're on board.