Wankel engine

 
Pronunciation: /ˈwaŋk(ə)l, ˈvaŋ-/

noun

  • a rotary internal-combustion engine in which a curvilinear, triangular, eccentrically pivoted piston rotates in an elliptical chamber, forming three combustion spaces that vary in volume as it turns.

Origin:

1960s: named after Felix Wankel (1902–88), German engineer