governor

governor
/guv"euhr neuhr, -euh neuhr/, n.
1. the executive head of a state in the U.S.
2. a person charged with the direction or control of an institution, society, etc.: the governors of a bank; the governor of a prison.
3. Also called governor general. the representative of the crown, as in the Commonwealth of Nations.
4. a ruler or chief magistrate appointed to govern a province, town, fort, or the like.
5. Mach. a device for maintaining uniform speed regardless of changes of load, as by regulating the supply of fuel or working fluid.
6. Brit. Informal.
a. one's father.
b. one's employer.
c. any man of superior rank or status.
[1250-1300; ME governour < OF governeor, gouverneur < L gubernatorem, acc. of gubernator = guberna(re) to steer, GOVERN + -tor -TOR]
Pronunciation. In GOVERNOR, the process of dissimilation - the tendency for neighboring like sounds to become unlike or for one of them to disappear entirely - commonly results in the loss of the first /r/ of /guv"euhr neuhr/, producing the pronunciation /guv"euh neuhr/. This pronunciation is heard even in regions where postvocalic /r/ is not usually dropped. A further loss, of the medial unstressed vowel, results in /guv"neuhr/. All three pronunciations are standard. See colonel, February, library.

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In technology, a device that automatically maintains the rotary speed of an engine within reasonably close limits regardless of the load.

A typical governor regulates an engine's speed by varying the rate at which fuel or working fluid is furnished to it. Nearly all governors work by centrifugal force and consist of a pair of masses rotating about a spindle driven by the engine and kept from flying outward, usually by springs. With an increase in speed, the controlling force of the springs is overcome and the masses move outward, opening valves supplying the engine with its working fluid or fuel. James Watt invented a governor for controlling steam engines. Modern governors are used to regulate the flow of gasoline to internal-combustion engines and the flow of steam, water, or gas to various types of turbines. See also flywheel.

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▪ machine component
      in technology, device that automatically maintains the rotary speed of an engine or other prime mover within reasonably close limits regardless of the load. A typical governor regulates an engine's speed by varying the rate at which fuel is furnished to it.

 Nearly all governors depend for their action on centrifugal force and consist of a pair of masses rotating about a spindle driven by the prime mover and kept from flying outward by a controlling force, usually applied by springs. With an increase in speed, the controlling force is overcome and the masses move outward; the movement of the masses is transmitted to valves supplying the prime mover with its working fluid or fuel. The Figure—> shows the conical pendulum governor, invented by James Watt for controlling steam engines. The revolving masses are balls attached to a vertical spindle by link arms, and the controlling force consists of the weight of the balls. If the load on the engine decreases, the speed will increase, the balls M will move out, and the member C will slide up the vertical spindle and reduce the steam admitted to the engine, thus reducing the speed. An increase in the load will have the opposite effect. Modern governors are used to regulate the flow of gasoline to internal-combustion engines and the flow of steam, water, or gas to various types of turbines. Compare flywheel.
 

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Governor — Gov ern*or, n. [OE. governor, governour, OF. governeor, F. gouverneur, fr. L. gubernator steersman, ruler, governor. See {Govern}.] 1. One who governs; especially, one who is invested with the supreme executive authority in a State; a chief ruler …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • governor — gov‧er‧nor [ˈgʌvnə ǁ ərnər] noun [countable] 1. JOBS FINANCE the person in charge of an important organization such as a country s central bank: • the governor of the Bank of England 2. a member of the committee in control of an institution such …   Financial and business terms

  • governor — gov·er·nor / gə vər nər/ n: one that governs: as a: one that exercises authority esp. over an area or group b: an official elected or appointed to act as ruler, chief executive, or nominal head of a political unit; specif: the chief executive of… …   Law dictionary

  • governor — c.1300, gouernour, personal keeper, protector, guide, from O.Fr. governeor (11c., Mod.Fr. gouverneur) and directly from L. gubernatorem (nom. gubernator) director, ruler, governor, originally steersman, pilot (see GOVERN (Cf. govern)). Meaning… …   Etymology dictionary

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  • governor — ► NOUN 1) an official appointed to govern a town or region. 2) the elected executive head of a US state. 3) the representative of the British Crown in a colony or in a Commonwealth state that regards the monarch as head of state. 4) the head of a …   English terms dictionary

  • Governor — For other uses, see governor (disambiguation). A governor (from French gouverneur) is a governing official, usually the executive (at least nominally, to different degrees also politically and administratively) of a non sovereign level of… …   Wikipedia

  • governor —    Probably the most frequent use of this term is in various parts of Britain, where working class men use it to address another man, usually one who is unknown to them. In his book The Cockney, Julian Franklyn writes:    ‘Guv’ner’, generally so… …   A dictionary of epithets and terms of address

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