Piston engines have crankshafts (steam, air, water gasoline IC, diesel IC,
differential, etc.), they are one type of reciprocating engines
Internal combustion engines (Turbines, rotary engines, ram jets, etc.) are a
super set that includes many piston engines and a sub-set of engines .
Whereas the term engine used to solely describe mechanical devices that
convert force into motion,
now it is used for many repetitive or reiterative processes that accept
input, process it, and output predictable (or not) results.
But we digress. .
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Tony's FRONTIER account" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2010 3:34 PM
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: prize for a good replacement for "baseless"
Rotary engines (Wankel) excepted. Mazda.
----- Original Message -----
From: "john gilmore" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2010 3:16 PM
Subject: Re: prize for a good replacement for "baseless"
Ken Brick wrote:
. . . this one may be a language difference between Australian and USA
usage, but I think most cars still
have cranks but not crank handles.
I will keep this Australian usage in mind. The OED talks about
crankshafts that turn and cranks that turn them, and I am of course happy
to stipulate that cars powered by internal combustion engines [still]have
crankshafts
John Gilmore Ashland, MA 01721-1817 USA
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 07:55:49 +1100
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: prize for a good replacement for "baseless"
To: [email protected]
On 19/12/2010 05:32 AM, john gilmore wrote:
> In the future "baseless", always an ugly term embodying a dubious pun,
> will need explanation. It will be as helpful as a description of a
> modern automobile as "crankless".
>
Seldom does one find John in error, and this one may be a language
difference between Australian and USA usage, but I think most cars still
have cranks but not crank handles.
Ken
