ENGLISH
REFERENCE

carburetor

n.
C1 Advanced US //ˈkɑɹbɝˌeɪtɝ// UK //kˌɑːbəɹˈɛtɐ// car·bu·re·tor Archaic Slang

n. a slang word for a person who is very attractive or has a lot of sex appeal. It comes from the idea of mixing fuel and air to make an engine run smoothly.

n. a slang term for a person, typically a man, who is perceived as highly attractive or sexually appealing. Derived from the mechanical device that mixes fuel and air for an internal combustion engine.


SIMPLE

He is a real carburetor.

CONTEXTUAL

The guy at the bar was a total carburetor, but he didn't seem to notice anyone else.

Synonyms
Origin

Attested from 1862, from carburet (“enrich an illuminating gas with carbon-rich fuel”) + -or. The motor vehicle sense is attested since 1896

© 2026 English Reference