Deltic Engine
/ˈdɛltɪk ˈɛn.dʒɪn/noun
A high-speed opposed-piston diesel engine developed by D. Napier & Son, notable for its three-bank triangular cylinder arrangement.
Did you know?The Napier Deltic used 18 cylinders arranged in three banks around a triangular structure, with opposed pistons sharing cylinders and eliminating conventional cylinder heads.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Phoenician
Phoenician
𐤃 dalet
“Door; the letter’s form is traditionally associated with a doorway.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δέλτα (delta)
“The fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, named from the Phoenician letter dalet and written in a triangular form.”
17th Century
English
delta
“A triangular or fan-shaped form, especially the land built up at a river’s mouth; later also the name of the Greek letter.”
19th Century
English
engine
“A machine or mechanical device; from Old French engin and Latin ingenium, meaning a device, talent, or innate ability.”
1940s–1950s
English
Deltic
“A coined engineering name referring to the engine’s triangular, delta-like arrangement of cylinder banks.”
Modern English
English
Deltic engine
“The trademarked Napier opposed-piston diesel design used notably in marine propulsion and British railway locomotives.”