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supercharger

American  
[soo-per-chahr-jer] / ˈsu pərˌtʃɑr dʒər /

noun

  1. a mechanism for forcing air into an internal-combustion engine in order to increase engine power.


supercharger British  
/ ˈsuːpəˌtʃɑːdʒə /

noun

  1. Also called: blower.   booster.  a device, usually a fan or compressor driven by the engine, that increases the mass of air drawn into an internal-combustion engine by raising the intake pressure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of supercharger

First recorded in 1920–25; supercharge + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Its boats have adopted the car-charging standard, so that operators can use existing infrastructure such as the Tesla supercharger network without the need for major investments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

It reported 52 million fourth-quarter charging sessions at its supercharger network, up 29% year over year.

From Barron's • Jan. 2, 2026

Also called a supercharger, level three chargers are the quickest because they deliver 480 volts of electricity, compared to a level two charger that delivers 240 volts, similar to an oven or clothes dryer outlet.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 10, 2023

A Tesla supercharger is shown at a charging station in Santa Clarita, California, U.S.

From Reuters • Jan. 3, 2022

Stan worked on the supercharger all that afternoon and convinced himself that he could fit it together and make it work.

From A Yankee Flier Over Berlin by Laune, Paul