aeolipile

American  

[ee-ol-uh-pahyl] / iˈɒl əˌpaɪl /

Or aeolipyle,

noun

1. a round vessel caused to rotate by the force of tangentially escaping steam: an early example of jet propulsion.

2. a device for injecting the vapors of heated alcohol into a laboratory furnace.

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aeolipile British  

/ iːˈɒlɪˌpaɪl /

noun

1. a device illustrating the reactive forces of a gas jet: usually a spherical vessel mounted so as to rotate and equipped with angled exit pipes from which steam within it escapes

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Etymology

Origin of aeolipile

1650–60; < Latin aeolīpilae balls of Aeolus, alteration of aeolīpylae gates of Aeolus, equivalent to Aeolī (genitive singular of Aeolus ) + pylae, plural of pyla < Greek pýlē gate

Example Sentences

Hero of Alexandria, in Egypt, produced the first steam engine when he created the aeolipile, a simple turbine that powered toys, around the year 70 CE.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022