What does turbojet mean?
A turbojet is a type of jet engine in which a turbine drives the compressor that supplies air to the combustion chamber. The expanding gases then create forward thrust, eliminating the need for a propeller. The word can also refer to an aircraft powered by this kind of engine. Turbojets became prominent during the Second World War and helped transform military aviation; after the war, they powered early commercial jetliners such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. Today the term is chiefly associated with aviation history, although turbojet propulsion remains part of the technological lineage of modern turbofan engines. Turbojets are notable for producing strong, concentrated thrust, but their design places relatively little emphasis on moving a large surrounding mass of air, a limitation addressed by later turbofan designs. The word is therefore especially useful when distinguishing early jet propulsion from modern high-bypass turbofan aviation.
nounA jet engine in which a turbine drives the compressor that supplies air to the combustion chamber. The term may also denote an aircraft powered by such an engine.
- A jet engine in which a turbine-driven compressor supplies compressed air to the combustion chamber.
- An aircraft powered by a turbojet engine.
"The aircraft was the first production airliner to fly with a turbojet rather than propeller engines."
"The prototype was powered by a turbojet engine mounted beneath its wings."
"Early turbojets offered faster, higher-altitude flight than the piston-engine fighters they replaced."
The standard plural is turbojets, though it is relatively uncommon because the word often appears in compound constructions such as turbojet engine and turbojet aircraft.
"The museum displays several early turbojets alongside the aircraft they powered."
Before turbofans became standard on airliners, iconic jetliners such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 flew with turbojets.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does turbojet come from?
Turbojet is a mid-20th-century English compound formed from turbo- and jet. Its turbo- element is associated with Latin turbo, an intensive form connected with spinning, agitation, or violent motion, and is also reflected in words such as turbine and turbulent. The element jet came into English through French and ultimately derives from Latin iactare, meaning “to throw.”
How turbojet is actually used
The word is chiefly used in aviation history and technical contexts. It is less common in discussions of modern airliners because turbofan engines have largely replaced turbojets.
Easily confused with turbojet
A turboprop uses a turbine engine to drive a propeller, whereas a turbojet uses turbine-driven compressed air to produce jet thrust.
A turbojet exhausts a high-speed stream of hot gas, while a turbofan accelerates a larger mass of air around the engine through a fan.