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John Doe John Doe is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 16
Default OT Semantics of "2-cycle" versus "2-stroke"

I'm looking at gas/petrol stabilizers, Sea Foam and STA-BIL.

On their FAQ page, both of them refer to a "2-stroke" engine as a
"2-cycle" engine.

Uhg.

It's only semantics, but you would think that those manufacturers
would know the difference between a "stroke" and a "cycle".

Per Merriam-Webster...

stroke:
the movement in either direction of a mechanical part (as a
piston) having a reciprocating motion; also : the distance of
such movement

cycle:
a course or series of events or operations that recur regularly
and usually lead back to the starting point


"2-stroke" "4-stroke" engine

About 3,270,000 results

"2-cycle" "4-cycle" engine

About 427,000 results (0.48 seconds)

Using "cycle" is not a big deal for casual speakers, but besides
being less popular, it's semantical nonsense.





--
I realize this might rub some Sea Foam or STA-BIL fan boys the
wrong way, but oh well.