n.
Pronunciation: ' si-l ə n-d ə r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French cylindre, from Latin cylindrus, from Greek kylindros, from kylindein to roll; perhaps akin to Greek kyklos wheel ― more at WHEEL
Date: 1570
1 a : the surface traced by a straight line moving parallel to a fixed straight line and intersecting a fixed planar closed curve b : a solid or surface bounded by a cylinder and two parallel planes cutting all its elements especially : RIGHT CIRCULAR CYLINDER ― see VOLUME table
2 : a cylindrical body or space: as a : the turning chambered breech of a revolver b (1) : the piston chamber in an engine (2) : a chamber in a pump from which the piston expels the fluid c : any of various rotating members in a press (as a printing press) especially : one that impresses paper on an inked form d : a cylindrical clay object inscribed with cuneiform inscriptions
– cyl · in · dered \ -d ə rd \ adjective
– on all cylinders : with maximum effort or intensity : at full capacity or speed <the economy is running on all cylinders >