Turbos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of mechanical device that enhances engine performance by forcing in more air and optimizing combustion
2. Devices used in various industries to increase efficiency by compressing or moving air and gases
3. Commonly found in automotive engineering, these components improve the power output and responsiveness of an engine

Etymology: "Turbos" is simply the plural of "turbo", so the story belongs to the singular. The short form comes from "turbocharger", a device that uses exhaust gases to spin a compressor, forcing more air into an engine so it can burn more fuel and produce more power. The clipped name is a modern automotive coinage, and it carries the idea of the "turbine" that drives the device. That turbine link runs back further. "Turbine" comes from the New Latin "turbo", the name of a genus of sea snails, whose spiral shells resemble a spinning whirl. Early engineers borrowed the same root for machines that spin, and the snail's spiral ended up driving engines rather than sitting on a seabed. The figurative sense, meaning something boosted or accelerated, grew directly from the car-engine usage: a turbocharger speeds up an automobile by increasing engine power, so people began applying the image to anything given a sudden extra push.

Synonyms: turbochargers, boosters