Phrase guide

rack and pinion

noun · 3 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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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A pair of gears, consisting of a circular pinion that engages with the teeth of a flat bar, that converts rotational into linear motion; used in the steering mechanism of cars, and in some railways.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • This machine transfers a heavy load via a rack and pinion.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A type of steering that uses such a gear arrangement: Ellipsis of rack and pinion steering.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • This car came with rack and pinion, disc brakes, and a turbocharger at a time when all of those things seemed like exotic luxuries.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a wheel gear (the pinion) meshes with a toothed rack; converts rotary to reciprocating motion (and vice versa)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gear, gear wheel, geared wheel, cogwheel

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: hammastanko ja hammaspyörä — mechanism converting rotational motion into linear
  • Finnish: hammastanko — mechanism converting rotational motion into linear
  • German: Zahnstangenantrieb — mechanism converting rotational motion into linear
  • Norwegian: Tannstang — mechanism converting rotational motion into linear
  • Polish: zębatka — mechanism converting rotational motion into linear
  • Russian: реечная́ переда́ча (reječnajá peredáča) — mechanism converting rotational motion into linear
  • Russian: кремалье́ра (kremalʹjéra) — mechanism converting rotational motion into linear
  • Serbo-Croatian: zupčani prijenos s ozubnicom — mechanism converting rotational motion into linear
  • Spanish: piñón y cremallera — mechanism converting rotational motion into linear