stratified charge engine

or stratified-charge engine

noun

1. an internal-combustion engine in which a small charge of a rich fuel mixture is ignited first and used to improve combustion of a larger charge of a lean fuel mixture.

Word History and Origins

Origin of stratified charge engine¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

I've been driving a German car with the new front-wheel drive for four years, and the stratified charge engine has been available from Japan for some time.

From Time Magazine Archive