Phrase guide

catalytic converter

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)tə(ɹ)
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A chamber containing a finely divided platinum catalyst in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized to carbon dioxide.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: automotive, transport, vehicles

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Cadillac converter, cat, catalyser

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a converter that uses a platinum-iridium catalyst to oxidize pollutants and carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and water; an antipollution device on an automotive exhaust system

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: converter, convertor

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: محول حفزي — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Arabic: محول الحَفَّاز — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Bulgarian: катализа́тор (katalizátor) — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Bulgarian: каталити́чен преобразува́тел (katalitíčen preobrazuvátel) — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Czech: katalyzátor — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Danish: katalysator — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Dutch: katalysator — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Estonian: katalüüsneutralisaator — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Finnish: katalysaattori — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Finnish: katti — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • French: pot catalytique — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Galician: catalizador — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Georgian: კატალიზური კონვერტერი (ḳaṭalizuri ḳonverṭeri) — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • German: Katalysator — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Greek: καταλύτης (katalýtis) — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Hebrew: ממיר קטליטי (memír kataliti) — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Hungarian: katalizátor — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Icelandic: efnahvarfi — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Icelandic: hvarfakútur — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Macedonian: катализа́тор (katalizátor) — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Norwegian Bokmål: katalysator — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: katalysator — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Persian: مبدل کاتالیست — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Polish: katalizator — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Portuguese: catalisador — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Portuguese: conversor catalítico — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Russian: каталити́ческий конве́ртер (katalitíčeskij konvérter) — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Spanish: convertidor catalítico — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Spanish: conversor catalítico — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Swedish: katalysator — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Swedish: katalytisk avgasrenare — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Turkish: katalitik konvertör — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide
  • Turkish: katalitik dönüştürücü — chamber in which carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from vehicle exhaust are oxidized into carbon dioxide