cylinder
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A solid bounded by a cylindrical surface and two parallel planes.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
siluhnderSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsɪləndɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
geometry
A solid bounded by a cylindrical surface and two parallel planes (the bases)
geometry
A solid figure bounded by a cylinder and two parallel planes intersecting the cylinder.
geometry
A surface created by projecting a closed two-dimensional curve along an axis intersecting the plane of the curve.
A container in the form of a cylinder with rounded ends for storing pressurized gas; a gas cylinder.
A cylindrical cavity or chamber in a mechanism, such as the counterpart to a piston found in a piston-driven engine.
An early form of phonograph recording, made on a wax cylinder.
verb
transitive
To calender; to press (paper, etc.) between rollers to make it glossy.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A solid bounded by a cylindrical surface and two parallel planes (the bases)
Used this way, cylinder is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a mathematical use: it is defined precisely and belongs to working with figures and calculations rather than to ordinary conversation.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Mathematics
- Geometry
- Academic writing
- Education/classroom
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use cylinder
- “The mechanic replaced the damaged cylinder in the engine.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A metal casting containing the cylinders and cooling ducts of an engine.
A detachable plate that covers the closed end of a cylinder chamber in a reciprocating engine or pump.
A lock in which a cylinder rotates to move a bolt.
A printing press where the type is carried on a flat bed under a cylinder that holds paper and rolls over the type.
A straight line running the length of the cylinder.
A cylindrical graduate.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.