air brake

noun
1.
a brake or system of brakes operated by compressed air.
2.
Aeronautics. a device for reducing the air speed of an aircraft by increasing its drag.
3.
a device for stopping the sails of a windmill by disrupting the flow of air around them.
Origin
1870-75, Americanism
Examples from the web for air brake
  • Other new inspection equipment uses computerized vision to look for defects in air brake hoses between cars.
  • air brake systems need special attention in the winter.
  • Frozen moisture in an air brake system seriously affects operation.
  • Also, he received no training on how to drive an air brake-equipped vehicle.
  • He continued to make many changes in his air brake design and later developed the automatic air brake system and the triple valve.
British Dictionary definitions for air brake

air brake

noun
1.
a brake operated by compressed air, esp in heavy vehicles and trains
2.
Also called dive brake. an articulated flap or small parachute for reducing the speed of an aircraft
3.
a rotary fan or propeller connected to a shaft to reduce its speed