Automotive

603 entries in this trade.

spat

A piece of bodywork that covers the upper portions of the rear tyres of a car.

To cause one's vehicle to rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion; or to experience such behavior from one's vehicle.

spinner knob

nounAutomotive

Ellipsis of steering wheel spinner knob.

spinout

nounAutomotive

A skid that results in a vehicle rotating such that its longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion.

split rim

nounAutomotive

A wheelrim consisting of several connected pieces, generally used on large and heavy vehicles.

spoiler

nounAutomotive

A device to reduce lift and increase downforce.

squib

nounAutomotive

The heating element used to set off the sodium azide pellets in a vehicle's airbag.

SRS

nounAutomotive

Initialism of supplemental restraint system or secondary restraint system (car airbags).

stakebed

nounAutomotive

A kind of flatbed truck equipped with sockets to hold stakes so as to enclose the loaded goods.

station wagon

nounAutomotive

A body style for cars in which the roof is extended rearward to produce an enclosed area in the position and serving the function of the boot (trunk) of a sedan or saloon.

steering column

nounAutomotive

a column originating in the dashboard and ending at the steering wheel

steering wheel spinner knob

nounAutomotive

An adapted driving device that attaches a spinnable knob to the steering wheel, allowing free spinning for those who can only grip the wheel with one limb, to be well attached to the wheel and allow the wheel to turn fully while gripped.

step on it

verbAutomotive

To drive fast; to step on the accelerator.

stepside

adjectiveAutomotive

With the fenders and wheel wells outside of the main body shell.

stock vehicle

nounAutomotive

A vehicle that is kept and maintained to legal specifications.

straddling bus

nounAutomotive

A bus with a passenger compartment raised above road level, allowing other traffic to pass underneath and hence helping to avoid traffic jams.

straight-eight

nounAutomotive

A vehicle, usually a large car, with an engine of this kind.

straight-pipe

verbAutomotive

To modify (a vehicle) to be straight-piped.

straight-piped

adjectiveAutomotive

Having a simple pipe from the engine to the exhaust, without muffler or catalytic converter.

straight-six

nounAutomotive

An internal combustion engine, with six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft.

studded tire

nounAutomotive

A tire with rubber that remains soft in subfreezing conditions, and equipped with metal studs (pins) to increase traction on ice by digging into it

studded tyre

nounAutomotive

A tyre with rubber that remains soft in subfreezing conditions, and equipped with metal studs (pins) to increase traction on ice by digging into it

student driver

nounAutomotive

A person who has not yet earned a driver's licence, and until then is permitted to drive only a marked car with a licensed driving instructor in the passenger seat.

submarine

verbAutomotive

To slide forwards underneath one's seat belt (during a crash or sudden stop).

summer tire

nounAutomotive

A tire designed to have long tread life in warm conditions, that will maintain grip in wet and dry conditions, and will function in hot and cool weather, but does not maintain grip in cold or freezing conditions

sun visor

nounAutomotive

A flap attached to the interior of an automobile by a hinge just above the windscreen/windshield, used to shade the eyes of occupants from the glare of sunlight.

sunroof

nounAutomotive

A fixed or operable opening in a vehicle roof (car or truck) which allows fresh air and/or light to enter the passenger compartment. A sunroof may include a transparent or opaque panel and may be manually operated or power driven.

supercharge

verbAutomotive

To increase the power of an internal combustion engine (either Otto or Diesel cycle) by compressing the inlet air with power extracted from the crankshaft.

supercharger

nounAutomotive

An inlet air compressor for an internal combustion engine (either Otto or Diesel cycle).

supplemental restraint system

nounAutomotive

Any of several restraining systems in a vehicle, such as an airbag, in addition to the seatbelts

SUS

nounAutomotive

Abbreviation of sport utility sedan (“an AWD sedan with increased ground clearance and fatter knobbier tires”).

sway

nounAutomotive

The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's lateral motion.

swirl flap

nounAutomotive

A small butterfly valve fitted to the intake manifold just before the cylinder head intake ports of many modern automotive diesel engines, and around which air can pass even when it is closed.

SX

adjectiveAutomotive

Initialism of special, special edition.

synchronizer

nounAutomotive

Part of a synchromesh manual transmission that allows the smooth engagement of gears.

T-top

nounAutomotive

An automobile roof with a removable panel on each side of a rigid bar running from the center of one structural bar between pillars to the center of the next structural bar.

TaaS

nounAutomotive

Abbreviation of transportation as a service.

tailfin

nounAutomotive

A fin-like projection at the rear of a car, common on American cars of the 1950s.

tailpipe

nounAutomotive

An exhaust pipe exhausting to the aft of the vehicle.

Targa top

nounAutomotive

A semiconvertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full-width roll bar behind the seats.

Taurus

nounAutomotive

An automobile model produced by the Ford Motor Company (1986-present).

tax horsepower

nounAutomotive

A country-specific calculation of the approximate power delivered by an automobile engine, used to determine a vehicle's road taxation rate. Modern systems may also take emissions into account.

TBI

nounAutomotive

Initialism of throttle body injection (“fuel injection”).

TCS

nounAutomotive

Initialism of traction control system: an electronic control system that prevents wheelspin to improve traction.

TEL

nounAutomotive

tetraethyllead (or tetraethyl lead, tetra-ethyl lead); a gasoline additive to boost octane rating

Tempo

nounAutomotive

A type of car shelter, a temporary kit-built prefabricated steel-framed high tunnel peaked hoop house with an impermeable translucent plastic fabric cover, and flap doors.

Tesla

nounAutomotive

A car manufactured by Tesla, Inc., a battery electric vehicle (BEV) automaker founded in 2003.

Tesla-swap

verbAutomotive

To convert an internal combustion engine car into an all-electric battery-powered vehicle, by replacing its engine and fuel system with a battery pack and an electric drive motor salvaged from a Tesla Motors all-electric battery-powered car.

Tesla-swapped

adjectiveAutomotive

Of a car: electrified by replacing its internal combustion engine and fuel system with a battery pack and an electric motor salvaged from a Tesla Motors all-electric battery-powered car.

test track

nounAutomotive

A paved track on which road vehicles can be tested.

Texas bed

nounAutomotive

A semi-truck's tractor unit, with a rear-facing near-cab winch, a truckbed between the cab and the fifth wheel, having a fifth wheel at the rear for attaching a semi-trailer.

throttle body

nounAutomotive

A part of the air intake system of a fuel injected engine, responsible for regulating the airflow into the engine.

through traffic

nounAutomotive

Traffic which passes through an area without originating or stopping there.

tickover

nounAutomotive

The idle rate of an engine, particularly on a motorbike.

timing chain

nounAutomotive

A chain (specifically, a roller chain) which connects the crankshaft and the camshaft of an engine, synchronizing the operation of the inlet and exhaust valves.