1 horsepower | Definition of horsepower

horsepower

noun
horse·​pow·​er | \ ˈhȯrs-ËŒpau̇(-É™)r How to pronounce horsepower (audio) \

Definition of horsepower

1 : the power that a horse exerts in pulling
2 : a unit of power equal in the U.S. to 746 watts and nearly equivalent to the English gravitational unit of the same name that equals 550 foot-pounds of work per second
3 : effective power intellectual horsepower computing horsepower

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Examples of horsepower in a Sentence

an engine with 200 horsepower that architectural firm probably doesn't have the creative horsepower to produce a truly innovative design

Recent Examples on the Web

Rosen, like Luck, has interests outside of football, comes from an affluent background and sure seems to have the intellectual horsepower to succeed in other fields. Albert Breer, SI.com, "How the Colts Are Pushing Forward Without Andrew Luck," 26 Aug. 2019 Tank Limo is powered d Rolls-Royce K60 2-stroke 6-cylinder multifuel engine developing 240 horsepower and coupled to a TX-200-4A semi-automatic transmission. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Take a Ride in This Tank Limo for Just $2,000 a Day," 30 July 2019 Front- and all-wheel-drive XC40s both have a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, but AWD models get a higher-output T5 turbocharger and develop 248 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, compared with 187 hp and 221 pound-feet for the T4 base model. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, "2019 Volvo XC40 SUV has wireless phone charging, carryout bag hook," 23 May 2018 Beneath the power domes is a 3.0-liter biturbo V-6 engine delivering 329 horsepower, adequate to shove the car from 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Casey Williams, chicagotribune.com, "2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 takes the lead in luxury coupes," 19 Dec. 2017 That’s thanks to a W16 engine (think of two V8s) that produces a chest-thumping, spine-bruising 1,600 horsepower. Alex Davies, WIRED, "Want to Burn $9 Million to Go 236 MPH? Try the New Bugatti," 19 Aug. 2019 Not very much horsepower — probably only about 115 or so. David Krumboltz, The Mercury News, "Me & My Car: Pleasanton man’s ’73 Volvo made in last model year," 12 Aug. 2019 Its turbocharged 2-liter 4-cylinder with 228 horsepower is punchy enough to coax a smile out of even the most dour of souls. Tom Voelk, New York Times, "26 Vehicles Played in the Mud. Here’s the Dirt.," 12 July 2018 Six diesel locomotive engines and three gas turbines generate 75,000 horsepower to spin propellers as big around as grain silos. Los Angeles Times, "Meet the neglected 43-year-old stepchild of the U.S. military-industrial complex," 2 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'horsepower.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of horsepower

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for horsepower

horsepower

noun

English Language Learners Definition of horsepower

: a unit used to measure the power of engines

horsepower

noun
horse·​pow·​er | \ ˈhȯrs-ËŒpau̇-É™r How to pronounce horsepower (audio) \

Kids Definition of horsepower

: a unit of power that equals the work done in lifting 550 pounds one foot in one second

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