What does "cylinder" mean?
A surface created by projecting a closed two-dimensional curve along an axis intersecting the plane of the curve.
Cylinder
/ˈsɪləndɚ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A surface created by projecting a closed two-dimensional curve along an axis intersecting the plane of the curve.
- Grammar: cylinder is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: piston chamber, accelerator, auto, automobile.
- Useful contrasts: cone, cones, coning.
- Usage evidence: The gas was compressed into a gas cylinder.
How to use "cylinder"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cylinder" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cylinder" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cylinder" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cylinder" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cylinder" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "piston chamber" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cylinder", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A surface created by projecting a closed two-dimensional curve along an axis intersecting the plane of the curve.
"When the two-dimensional curve is a circle, the cylinder is called a circular cylinder. When the axis is perpendicular to the plane of the curve, the cylinder is called a right cylinder. In non-mathematical usage, both right and circular are usually implied."
- 2 a cylindrical container for oxygen or compressed air wordnet
- 3 A solid figure bounded by a cylinder and two parallel planes intersecting the cylinder.
- 4 a chamber within which piston moves wordnet
- 5 Any object in the form of a circular cylinder.
"A big greyish rounded bulk, the size, perhaps, of a bear, was rising slowly and painfully out of the cylinder."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a solid bounded by a cylindrical surface and two parallel planes (the bases) wordnet
- 7 A cylindrical cavity or chamber in a mechanism, such as the counterpart to a piston found in a piston-driven engine.
- 8 a surface generated by rotating a parallel line around a fixed line wordnet
- 9 The space in which a piston travels inside a reciprocating engine or pump.
- 10 A container in the form of a cylinder with rounded ends for storing pressurized gas; a gas cylinder.
- 11 An early form of phonograph recording, made on a wax cylinder.
- 12 The part of a revolver that contains chambers for the cartridges.
- 13 The corresponding tracks on a vertical arrangement of disks in a disk drive considered as a unit of data capacity.
Verb
- 1 To calender; to press (paper, etc.) between rollers to make it glossy. transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The gas was compressed into a gas cylinder."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cylinder"?
Common synonyms include: piston chamber, accelerator, auto, automobile, barrel, baton.
How do you use "cylinder" in a sentence?
The gas was compressed into a gas cylinder.
How do you pronounce "cylinder"?
Pronounced /ˈsɪləndɚ/.
Etymology
From Middle French chilindre, cylindre, from Latin cylindrus, from Ancient Greek κύλινδρος (kúlindros), from κυλίνδω (kulíndō) "I roll or wallow" (intransitive). Doublet of calander and calender.