driving wheel

noun
1.
Machinery. a main wheel that communicates motion to others.
2.
Also called driver. Railroads. one of the wheels of a locomotive that transmits the power of an engine or motor into tractive effort.
Origin
1830-40
Examples from the web for driving wheel
  • The vehicles shall have adequate wheel well clearance to provide use of regular type tire chains on the driving wheel.
  • The opposite end of this shaft carries a gear meshing with a pinion rigidly attached to a spiked driving wheel.
  • On account of the heavy grade a cogged track is laid between the rails and in this gears the driving wheel of the engine.
  • The driving wheel the cover then falls and should he sufficiently con-shuts him out from the cave to carry the main world forever.
British Dictionary definitions for driving wheel

driving wheel

noun
1.
a wheel, esp a gear wheel, that causes other wheels to rotate
2.
any wheel of a vehicle that transforms torque into a tractive force