entry
turbo
/ˈtɝːboʊ/A device or setting that greatly increases speed
From Latin turbo (Whirling motion).
Word Ancestry
Picture a Roman watching a dust devil twist across a road: turbo was his word for that whirling spectacle, and the same word eventually lent its shape to the modern turbine. In the 19th century, engineers turned the image of spinning motion into machinery, naming rotating power-producing devices turbines. By the early 20th century, exhaust gases could spin a turbine in an automobile and drive more air into the engine—a mechanical whirlwind hiding under the hood. “Turbo” then became a neat little linguistic shortcut for turbocharger, and later for anything aggressively fast, from racing engines to ceiling fans. The memorable trick is to hear the ancient whirlwind inside the modern engine: turbo is speed with a spiral in it.
The Story
Picture a Roman watching a dust devil twist across a road: turbo was his word for that whirling spectacle, and the same word eventually lent its shape to the modern turbine. In the 19th century, engineers turned the image of spinning motion into machinery, naming rotating power-producing devices turbines. By the early 20th century, exhaust gases could spin a turbine in an automobile and drive more air into the engine—a mechanical whirlwind hiding under the hood. “Turbo” then became a neat little linguistic shortcut for turbocharger, and later for anything aggressively fast, from racing engines to ceiling fans. The memorable trick is to hear the ancient whirlwind inside the modern engine: turbo is speed with a spiral in it.
Modern Usage
A highest-speed or highest-intensity setting, or a short form of turbocharger
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary usage describing turbo as a ceiling-fan’s highest setting
Kin & Kindred
From 'turbo'·Whirling motion, spinning object, or whirlwind
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary