What does carburetor mean?
A carburetor is a component of an internal-combustion engine that mixes air and fuel in the proportions needed for combustion. In older gasoline engines, it controlled fuel delivery by drawing fuel into an airflow and atomizing it before sending the mixture to the cylinders. The device was essential to the design of many twentieth-century cars, motorcycles, and small engines, and carburetors are still familiar in discussion of classic vehicles. In modern engines, electronic fuel-injection systems have largely taken over the carburetor’s function. The word consequently carries a mechanical and historical association, often suggesting a hands-on repair, a vintage vehicle, or an engine that needs adjustment. It is commonly paired with phrases such as “clean the carburetor,” “adjust the carburetor,” and “replace the carburetor.”
nounA carburetor is a device in an internal-combustion engine that mixes air with fuel in the correct proportions for combustion. It was especially important in gasoline engines before electronic fuel-injection systems became widespread.
- A device that mixes air and fuel in the proper ratio for combustion in an internal-combustion engine.
"The mechanic cleaned the carburetor before starting the vintage motorcycle."
"A clogged carburetor can make an older engine run poorly or fail to start."
"Restoring the classic car required replacing its carburetor and rebuilding the fuel system."
The standard American plural is “carburetors”; British English also uses “carburettors.”
"The engine has two carburetors, one for each bank of cylinders."
Before fuel injection, the carburetor was the tiny mechanical matchmaker that decided how much air and fuel an engine received.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does carburetor come from?
“Carburetor” comes through French “carburateur,” which was formed from “carburer,” meaning to carburize or treat with carbon. The French word ultimately traces to Latin “carbo,” meaning coal or charcoal, the historical source of the English carbon family. The term developed with the practical application of carburetion to fuel and engine technology.
Related word forms
How carburetor is actually used
The spelling “carburetor” is standard in American English, while “carburettor” is common in British English. The term is still used for older vehicles and engines, but it is less common in descriptions of modern cars because electronic fuel injection largely replaced carburetors.