steam engine
noun
: an engine driven or worked by steam
specifically
: a reciprocating engine having a piston driven in a closed cylinder by steam
Examples of steam engine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Stardrum’s brushwork, sounding like a steam engine at low speed, keeps things from falling apart, but doesn’t put anything together, either.
—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
3 July 2026
In 1865, economist William Stanley Jevons observed that as steam engines became more coal-efficient, England’s total coal consumption skyrocketed.
—
Vaibhav Dani,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
In 1865, William Stanley Jevons observed that when the Watt steam engine made coal use more efficient—decreasing the amount required to a task—coal consumption actually skyrocketed.
—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
This phenomenon is known as the Jevons paradox, named after William Stanley Jevons, a 19th-century British economist who correctly predicted that the steam engine’s more efficient use of coal would, counterintuitively, cause demand for coal to rise.
—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for steam engine
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Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
3 July 2026
In 1865, economist William Stanley Jevons observed that as steam engines became more coal-efficient, England’s total coal consumption skyrocketed.
—
Vaibhav Dani,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
In 1865, William Stanley Jevons observed that when the Watt steam engine made coal use more efficient—decreasing the amount required to a task—coal consumption actually skyrocketed.
—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
This phenomenon is known as the Jevons paradox, named after William Stanley Jevons, a 19th-century British economist who correctly predicted that the steam engine’s more efficient use of coal would, counterintuitively, cause demand for coal to rise.
—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for steam engine
Cite this Entry
“Steam engine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steam%20engine. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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