Meanings
nounbrake horsepower (countable and uncountable, plural brake horsepowers, abbreviation bhp or b.hp.)
plural brake horsepowers · abbreviation bhp · abbreviation b.hp.
- countableuncountableThe useful horsepower of an engine as measured at its drive shaft.
Origin
The term refers to a method of measuring the usable power of an engine by connecting a brake to the drive shaft of the engine. Other methods have been developed but the term remains.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish bruttohevosvoima
- bruttohevosvoimauseful horsepower
Cite this entry
APA
brake horsepower. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brake%20horsepower
MLA
“brake horsepower.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brake%20horsepower. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brake horsepower,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brake%20horsepower.
Source: brake horsepower on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.