horsepower

[ hawrs-pou-er ]

noun

1. a foot-pound-second unit of power, pow, power, equivalent to 550 foot-pounds per second, or 745.7 watts.
2. Informal. the capacity to achieve or produce; strength or talent:

   The university's history faculty is noted for its intellectual horsepower.

horsepower

/ ˈhɔːsˌpaʊə /

noun

1. an fps unit of power, equal to 550 foot-pounds per second (equivalent to 745.7 watts)
2. a US standard unit of power, equal to 746 watts

horsepower

/ hôrs′pou′ər /

1. A unit that is used to measure the power of engines and motors. One unit of horsepower is equal to the power needed to lift 550 pounds one foot in one second. This unit has been widely replaced by the watt in scientific usage; one horsepower is equal to 745.7 watts.

horsepower

1. A unit of power equal to about 746 watts .

Notes

The horsepower is used to measure the power of engines.

This term was coined by James Watt , who invented a new type of steam engine in the eighteenth century. Watt found that the horse could do a certain amount of work per second; when he sold his steam engines, this measurement allowed him to estimate the worth of an engine in terms of the number of horses it would replace. Therefore, a six-horsepower engine was capable of replacing six horses.

Word History and Origins

Origin of horsepower¹

First recorded in 1800–10; horse + power

Example Sentences

He had too much else to worry about, Newgarden insisted, and helping his boss understand how Newgarden illegally used extra boosts of horsepower to win the March opening race was a bigger priority.

From Seattle Times

The drivers were found to have illegally used their push-to-pass boost of additional horsepower when it was not allowed.

From Seattle Times

“Some real horsepower on I-90 in downtown Cleveland today. Any injuries? Neigh,” the department posted on Twitter/X.

From Seattle Times

The speedboat sports a presidential seal and boasts three engines with a combined 900 horsepower.

From Seattle Times

Stock cars have a little more horsepower but they are so heavy that the speeds are slower, they slide around more.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dynamism
• electricity
• heat
• potential
• service
• strength