internal combustion
Featured
April 21, 2025
An internal combustion engine burns fuel inside a chamber—the fuel explodes within, not outside. Leonardo da Vinci drew one in 1509, centuries before anyone could build it. But Karl Benz (as in Mercedes Benz) made it real in 1886, and suddenly the automotive revolution became unstoppable. The technical term didn't even exist until 1880-85, but once it did, it described the future. From sketches to engines to cars to the world transformed. See more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_combustion_engine
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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