gearbox
|gear/box|
🇺🇸
/ˈɡɪərˌbɑks/
🇬🇧
/ˈɡɪəˌbɒks/
mechanical power transmission
Etymology
'gearbox' originates from the combination of 'gear' and 'box', where 'gear' refers to the toothed wheels that transmit power, and 'box' refers to the casing that houses these gears.
'gear' comes from the Old Norse word 'gervi', meaning 'equipment', and 'box' comes from the Old English 'box', meaning 'container'.
Initially, it referred to a simple container for gears, but over time it evolved into its current meaning of a complex mechanical device for power transmission.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a mechanical device that contains a set of gears and is used to transmit power from an engine to the wheels of a vehicle.
The car's gearbox needed to be replaced after it started making strange noises.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:42