steam engine
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steam engine
A heat engine that converts the energy of hot water vapor into mechanical motion. Its invention was a decisive driving force of the Industrial Revolution.
Die erste kommerziell erfolgreiche Dampfmaschine wurde von James Watt entscheidend verbessert.
The first commercially successful steam engine was decisively improved by James Watt.
The word is a typically German compound made up of 'der Dampf' (steam) and 'die Maschine' (machine). The meaning is directly understandable: a machine that works with steam.
Das Museum stellt eine alte Dampfmaschine aus.
The museum is exhibiting an old steam engine.
The steam engine is inseparably connected with the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries. In texts about this era, the word is of central importance.
Die Erfindung der Dampfmaschine veränderte die Arbeitswelt für immer.
The invention of the steam engine changed the world of work forever.
The word element 'Dampf-' (steam) is also used in other words to describe the type of propulsion. Examples are 'Dampflokomotive' (steam locomotive, short: 'Dampflok') or 'Dampfschiff' (steamship).
Früher fuhren große Dampfschiffe über den Atlantik.
In the past, large steamships crossed the Atlantic.
internal combustion engine
'Verbrennungsmotor' and 'Dampfmaschine' are both machines that can convert heat energy into motion. The important difference lies in how the energy is produced. A 'Verbrennungsmotor' burns fuel directly inside the engine, for example in a car. A 'Dampfmaschine' uses hot steam, which is usually produced outside the moving part. The words can be confused because both have to do with engines, power, and technology. In modern vehicles, 'Verbrennungsmotor' is usually more precise; for old trains, factories, or the Industrial Revolution, 'Dampfmaschine' fits better.
Im Museum zeigt eine Dampfmaschine, wie früher Maschinen angetrieben wurden.
In the museum, a steam engine shows how machines used to be powered.
Der Verbrennungsmotor im alten Auto braucht noch Benzin.
The internal combustion engine in the old car still needs gasoline.