servomotor

noun

ser·vo·mo·tor ˈsər-vō-ˌmō-tər

: a power-driven mechanism that supplements a primary control operated by a comparatively feeble force (as in a servomechanism)

Examples of servomotor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Our test car also suffered from an incessantly whirring servomotor. —

Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 8 Apr. 2023 The component, known as a servomotor, combines an engine with a sensor that enables precise control of the position and speed of a drone. —

Dion Nissenbaum, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2021 An electronic signal tells the ETM the exact position of your gas pedal, and the ETM then operates a servomotor to open and close the throttle. —

Star Tribune, 4 June 2021 The servomotors use special low-temperature lubricant, and Navmar fitted EPDM weather seal gasketing to all access hatches, ports, and panels to prevent accumulating moisture and ice. —

David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 13 July 2017 Its customizable cylinder, which can handle up to 150 pounds, contains a GPS unit and servomotor for steering the parachute to a drop site up to 2 miles away. —

Bob Parks, WIRED, 20 Oct. 2008

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French servo-moteur, from Latin servus "slave" + French -o- -o- + moteur motor entry 1 — more at serve entry 1

Note: The term was apparently the coinage of the French engineer and inventor Joseph Farcot (1824-1908), who introduced such a mechanism in the 1860's. In the publication Le servo-moteur ou moteur asservi (Paris, 1873), Farcot states "Nous avons cru qu'il était nécessaire de donner un nom nouveau et caractéristique à cet engin nouveau et l'avons appelé servo-moteur ou moteur asservi" (p. 4). ("We thought that it was necessary to give a new and distinguishing name to this new engine, and we have called it 'servo-motor' or 'subjugated motor.'")

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of servomotor was in 1889

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