crankshaft

noun

crank·​shaft ˈkraŋk-ˌshaft 

1

: a shaft driven by or driving a crank

2

: a shaft consisting of a series of cranks and crankpins to which the connecting rods of an engine are attached

Examples of crankshaft in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While both variants of the Type 35 featured a three-valve, overhead-camshaft straight-eight engine, the 35A’s power plant used a simpler, ball-bearing crankshaft (with three rather than five bearings) and smaller valves in a mill that delivered 70 hp as opposed to the racer’s 90 hp. —Howard Walker, Robb Report, 2 Dec. 2024

Andretti claimed a top-10 Indy finish in Foyt’s No. 33 Ford before traveling to Charlotte, where a faulty crankshaft relegated him to 36th place. —Michael Marot, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2024

Porsche's patent shows the crankshaft spinning within a ring on planetary gears, meaning as the crankshaft rotates, the pistons have two entirely different top-dead-center positions as well as two different bottom-dead-center positions. —New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2024

Versus its 788 hp predecessor in the 812 Superfast, the engine spins up 31 more horses and gets titanium connecting rods that are 40 percent lighter, a lightened crankshaft and pistons, and valve-train components derived directly from Ferrari’s F1 engines, boosting mechanical efficiency. —Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

crankshaft

noun

crank·​shaft -ˌshaft 

: a shaft turning or driven by a crank or made up of a series of cranks