Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

rack and pinion

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.61 in modern English

Syllables: rack- and pin-ion
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A pair of gears, consisting of a circular pinion that engages with the teeth of a flat bar, that converts rotational into linear motion; used in the steering mechanism of cars, and in some railways.

noun

A type of steering that uses such a gear arrangement: Ellipsis of rack and pinion steering.

Example Sentences

"This machine transfers a heavy load via a rack and pinion."
"To sum up, the Furka-Oberalp Railway is a good example of the adaptation of the rack-and-pinion system to a main line over mountainous terrain."
"The length of the Wengernalp Railway from Lauterbrunnen over the Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald or vice versa, Riggenbach rack-and-pinion operated throughout, should be a "must" in the itinerary of every Oberland tourist; [...]."
"Finally, it is the world's leading manufacturer in the rack-and-pinion rail vehicle industry."
"This car came with rack and pinion, disc brakes, and a turbocharger at a time when all of those things seemed like exotic luxuries."

Inflected Forms

rack and pinions (plural) racks and pinions (plural)

Phrases

rack-and-pinion railway

Questions

What does rack and pinion mean?: A pair of gears, consisting of a circular pinion that engages with the teeth of a flat bar, that converts rotational into linear motion; used in the steering mechanism of cars, and in some railways.

How to pronounce rack and pinion

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