Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
steam engine
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Lenoir's steam engine rotative steam engine
James Watt's steam engine: The power behind the industrial revolution
Corliss steam engine Thomas Savery's steam pump
How did Heron of Alexandria's aeolipile work?
For Students
Vintage engraving from 1878 of the spinning room in Shadwell Rope Works. View of the factory floor. Industrial revolution
Pop Quiz: 15 Things to Know About the Industrial Revolution
steam engine summary
Quizzes
Electric power lines against sunset (grid, power, wires, electrical, electricity)
Energy & Fossil Fuels
ball bearing. Disassembled ball bearing. rotational friction Automobile Industry, Engineering, Industry, Machine Part, Metal Industry, Sphere, Steel, Wheel
Inventors and Inventions
James Watt as a young man, c1769. Scottish engineer and instrument maker. Invented the modern steam engine which became the main source of power in Britain's textile mills. His engine had a separate condenser in which steam from the cylinder; (see notes)
Weaponry, Energy, and Power Systems Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
Abstract vector hi speed internet technology background
History of Technology Timeline
A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England
Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
Discover
Aurochs. Bos primigenius. Skeleton. Extinct animal. Skeleton of an Aurochs, an extinct wild ox.
6 Animals We Ate Into Extinction
Drinking water is poured into a glass.
Water Fluoridation: Just the Facts
King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)
9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes
Berries and leaves of the bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) plant. Poisonous plant
7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants
Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"
How Deadly Is Quicksand?
Cathedrale St.Jean in Lyon, France has a 14th-century astronomical clock that shows religious feast days till the year 2019; Perpetual Calendar
Ten Days That Vanished: The Switch to the Gregorian Calendar
Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere
Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?

steam engine: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/steam-engine
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Steam engines and sheepdogs thrill crowds at Shane's Castle rally • May 5, 2025, 7:06 PM ET (BBC)

Facts

Also Known As compound steam engine

Photos and Videos

Lenoir's steam engine
rotative steam engine
Corliss steam engine
Thomas Savery's steam pump
James Watt's steam engine: The power behind the industrial revolution
How did Heron of Alexandria's aeolipile work?
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Robert Fulton
Robert Fulton
American inventor
James Watt
James Watt
Scottish inventor
Oliver Evans.
Oliver Evans
American inventor
Richard Trevithick, detail of an oil painting by John Linnell, 1816; in the Science Museum, London.
Richard Trevithick
English engineer
George Stephenson
George Stephenson
British inventor
Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper
American inventor and manufacturer
John Stevens, oil on panel, attributed to John Trumbull; in the collection of the Stevens Institute of Technology
John Stevens
American inventor and lawyer
Eugène Schneider
French industrialist
Matthew Boulton, detail of an engraving by William Sharp after a portrait by William Beachey, 18th century
Matthew Boulton
British engineer and manufacturer
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
British engineer
Nasmyth, James
James Nasmyth
Scottish engineer
Thomas Savery's steam pump
Thomas Savery
British engineer and inventor
William Murdock, bust by an unknown artist; in the Science Museum, London
William Murdock
Scottish inventor
William Symington
British engineer
John Roebuck
British physician, chemist, and inventor
Sir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet
British engineer
Baldwin, Matthias William
Matthias William Baldwin
American manufacturer
Joshua Field
British civil engineer
Nathan Read
American engineer and inventor
Matthew Murray
English engineer

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Vintage engraving from 1878 of the spinning room in Shadwell Rope Works. View of the factory floor. Industrial revolution
Pop Quiz: 15 Things to Know About the Industrial Revolution
Electric power lines against sunset (grid, power, wires, electrical, electricity)
Energy & Fossil Fuels
James Watt as a young man, c1769. Scottish engineer and instrument maker. Invented the modern steam engine which became the main source of power in Britain's textile mills. His engine had a separate condenser in which steam from the cylinder; (see notes)
Weaponry, Energy, and Power Systems Quiz
ball bearing. Disassembled ball bearing. rotational friction Automobile Industry, Engineering, Industry, Machine Part, Metal Industry, Sphere, Steel, Wheel
Inventors and Inventions
List
A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England
Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution