cylinder
noun
cyl·in·der
ˈsi-lən-dər 
1
a
: the surface traced by a straight line moving parallel to a fixed straight line and intersecting a fixed planar closed curve
b
: a solid or surface bounded by a cylinder and two parallel planes cutting all its elements
especially
: right circular cylinder see Volume Formulas Table
2
: a cylindrical body or space: such as
a
: the turning chambered breech of a revolver
b(1)
: the piston chamber in an engine
(2)
: a chamber in a pump from which the piston expels the fluid
c
: any of various rotating members in a press (such as a printing press)
especially
: one that impresses paper on an inked form
d
: a cylindrical clay object inscribed with cuneiform inscriptions
Examples of cylinder in a Sentence
the cylinder of a revolver
Recent Examples on the Web
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have uncovered 403 pounds of cocaine stashed inside a shipment of rolling door cylinders that arrived from the Dominican Republic to the port of San Juan in Puerto Rico.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Old-fashioned zoetropes had drawings on the inside of the cylinder of a barrel that were observed through tiny slits cut into the barrel above each picture.
—Charlotte Hu, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024
Gold craft wire wrapped around a cylinder creates a spiral shape and is attached with small craft-grade nails.
—Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2024
That is why this saga has clicked on all cylinders for nearly half a decade.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cylinder 
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Old-fashioned zoetropes had drawings on the inside of the cylinder of a barrel that were observed through tiny slits cut into the barrel above each picture.
—Charlotte Hu, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024
Gold craft wire wrapped around a cylinder creates a spiral shape and is attached with small craft-grade nails.
—Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2024
That is why this saga has clicked on all cylinders for nearly half a decade.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cylinder
Dictionary Entries Near cylinder
Cite this Entry
“Cylinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cylinder. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cylinder
noun
cyl·in·der
ˈsil-ən-dər
1
: a geometric shape composed of two parallel faces of identical size and shape (as circles) and a curved surface that completely connects their borders
2
: a body (as the piston chamber of an engine, the barrel of a pump, or the part of a revolver which holds the cartridges) shaped like a cylinder
cylindrical
adjective
sə-ˈlin-dri-kəl
cylindrically
adverb
-dri-k(ə-)lē
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