carter

engine casing, crankcase

noun kar-TEH Rare

Origin: English 'carter' (a type of engine cover)

Also means

chain guard (bicycle)

Usage Note

Carter is a mechanical term for the protective casing that encloses an engine's crankshaft and oil (the crankcase), or the guard covering a bicycle chain. It is an anglicism that entered French automotive vocabulary in the early 20th century. Vidanger le carter means to drain the oil sump.

Examples

"De l'huile s'écoule du carter du moteur."

Natural Translation

Oil is leaking from the engine casing.

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