as in pipe
a long hollow cylinder for carrying a substance (as a liquid or gas)
a penstock carried water for the waterwheel
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Recent Examples of penstock
Brenda Burman, general manager of the Central Arizona Project, presented a diagram showing the dam’s eight large tubes, called penstocks, that water normally passes through, as well as the smaller outlet pipes that enable water releases at low reservoir levels.
—
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
River water entered the powerhouse and fell down a system of 140-foot vertical pipes, called penstocks, one for each generator.
—Charles R. Morris, WSJ, 21 June 2018
The penstock flows powered the turbines that turned shafts activating the top-side generators.
—Charles R. Morris, WSJ, 21 June 2018
The reservoir can also be lowered by discharges through the dam’s power plant, but one of the two power plant outlets, known as penstocks, was shut down for routine maintenance of turbines.
—Ralph Vartabedian, latimes.com, 10 May 2017
Equipment: An intake gate called a penstock, valves and pressure gauges, turbine, switchgear, inverter, and electronics.
—Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 6 Feb. 2017
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
River water entered the powerhouse and fell down a system of 140-foot vertical pipes, called penstocks, one for each generator.
—Charles R. Morris, WSJ, 21 June 2018
The penstock flows powered the turbines that turned shafts activating the top-side generators.
—Charles R. Morris, WSJ, 21 June 2018
The reservoir can also be lowered by discharges through the dam’s power plant, but one of the two power plant outlets, known as penstocks, was shut down for routine maintenance of turbines.
—Ralph Vartabedian, latimes.com, 10 May 2017
Equipment: An intake gate called a penstock, valves and pressure gauges, turbine, switchgear, inverter, and electronics.
—Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 6 Feb. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penstock
Noun
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Two men assembled a dredge from a PVC pipe and a household grease trap.—
Julian Lucas,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Continuous megawatt power millimeter-waves can also be efficiently (>90 percent) guided to great distances (>10 km) using a variety of modes and waveguide (pipes) systems, including the potential of using smooth bore coiled and jointed/ joined tubing.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Any device that can surf the internet can be a conduit for phishing attacks.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
7 Mar. 2025
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Based on trade data, the U.S.-Canada rail corridor is a major conduit for automotive components, petroleum products, forest products, and chemicals, reflecting the deep industrial integration between the two economies.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Check this out 🇬🇧 Tunnel vision: A mile-long series of secret World War II tunnels under a tube station in London will be turned into a major tourist attraction.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN,
26 Feb. 2025
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The pope is receiving what is known as high-flow oxygen by nasal cannula (a device that provides extra oxygen through a tube and into the nose), which can vary in oxygen percentage.—
Dr. Marc Siegel Fox News,
Fox News,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Images shared by pro-Kremlin channels purport to show the Russian soldiers inside the pipelines.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
9 Mar. 2025
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If your boss asks you to buy gift cards or transfer funds, try to confirm in person or via an official company channel.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penstock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penstock. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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