Prony brake

noun

A device to measure the torque produced by an engine, essentially by wrapping a cord or belt around the output shaft and measuring the force transferred to the belt through friction.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounProny brake (plural Prony brakes)

plural Prony brakes

  1. A device to measure the torque produced by an engine, essentially by wrapping a cord or belt around the output shaft and measuring the force transferred to the belt through friction.

Origin

Invented by Gaspard de Prony in 1821.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Prony brake. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Prony%20brake

MLA

“Prony brake.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Prony%20brake. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Prony brake,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Prony%20brake.

Source: Prony brake on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.