oversquareadj.
/ˌəʊvəˈskwɛː/, U.S. /ˌoʊvərˈskwɛ(ə)r/ Engineering.
Of an internal combustion engine or its cylinders: having a bore greater than the stroke.
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society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > engine > internal-combustion engine > [adjective] > other specific types
six-cylinder1905
in-line1929
cold starting1930
oversquare1959
fixed-head1962
torquey1977
turbo-compounded1978
1959 Times 23 Sept. 5/4 The new engine is ‘over-square’ and has a cubic capacity of 6¼ litres.
1966 Economist 9 July p. xxv/1 If exaggerated, the over-square cylinder tends to have a wafer-thin combustion chamber with limited compression turbulence, and to suffer from indifferent combustion at low operating speeds.
1986 Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 26 Oct. 57/5 This motor is grossly oversquare, with pistons stroking some 41 mm in a 62 mm bore.
2001 National Post (Canada) 2 June e12/3 An oversquare bore and stroke of 76.0 × 68.8 millimetres yielded 2,496 cc, just under the 2.5 litre limit.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1959