Entry · Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Plate N. The steam locomotive boiler, viewed from the rear, defies casual description, its girth a monument to industrial prowess.
Photo by Olle August on Unsplash
Boiler, Steam Locomotive
/BOY-lur, STEEM loh-kuh-MOH-tiv/ n.- 1. A large cylindrical vessel designed to generate steam for the propulsion of a locomotive, notable for its substantial thermal expansion and formidable girth.
- 2. colloq. The quintessential powerhouse of rail heritage, flaunting a level of rotundity that dares lesser machinery to even stand close.
In a sentence,
"He marveled at the thiccc steam locomotive boiler, its generous diameter casting shade on the entire platform."
Etymology,
From Latin boilire (to bubble or boil) + Latin locomotivus (causing motion), which once suggested elegance in motion. Nowadays, it suggests a certain unapologetic bulk.