cylinder
noun
cyl·in·der
ˈsi-lən-dər 
1
a
: the surface traced by a straight line moving parallel to a fixed straight line and intersecting a fixed planar closed curve
b
: a solid or surface bounded by a cylinder and two parallel planes cutting all its elements
especially
: right circular cylinder see Volume Formulas Table
2
: a cylindrical body or space: such as
a
: the turning chambered breech of a revolver
b(1)
: the piston chamber in an engine
(2)
: a chamber in a pump from which the piston expels the fluid
c
: any of various rotating members in a press (such as a printing press)
especially
: one that impresses paper on an inked form
d
: a cylindrical clay object inscribed with cuneiform inscriptions
Examples of cylinder in a Sentence
the cylinder of a revolver
Recent Examples on the Web
The most prominent features of the Cygnus cargo freighter are its circular, fan-like solar arrays and an aluminum cylinder called the pressurized cargo module that bears some resemblance to a keg of beer.
—
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
Alternatively, the cylinder can be swapped in the field, allowing the UGV to return to action with little downtime.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
The car is powered by a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine making 700 horsepower.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
Ram reintroduced its iconic HEMI V8 after choosing to replace it with a six-cylinder engine.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
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Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
Alternatively, the cylinder can be swapped in the field, allowing the UGV to return to action with little downtime.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
The car is powered by a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine making 700 horsepower.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
Ram reintroduced its iconic HEMI V8 after choosing to replace it with a six-cylinder engine.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cylinder
Cite this Entry
“Cylinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cylinder. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cylinder
noun
cyl·in·der
ˈsil-ən-dər
1
: a geometric shape composed of two parallel faces of identical size and shape (as circles) and a curved surface that completely connects their borders
2
: a body (as the piston chamber of an engine, the barrel of a pump, or the part of a revolver which holds the cartridges) shaped like a cylinder
cylindrical
adjective
sə-ˈlin-dri-kəl
cylindrically
adverb
-dri-k(ə-)lē
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