Meaning & use
decoke
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitiveBritishtechnical
To remove carbon deposits from the inside of an engine, especially a car engine.
Grammar: Takes an object: decoke an engine.
Patterns
- decoke an engine
- decoke a cylinder head
- have the engine decoked
He had to decoke the engine after it started running roughly.
The mechanic recommended decoking the cylinder head.
Old cars often needed to be decoked every few thousand miles.
nouncountableBritishtechnical
The act or process of removing carbon from an engine.
Grammar: Usually singular: 'give the engine a decoke'.
Patterns
- give something a decoke
- need a decoke
The engine needs a decoke before the long trip.
He gave the old motorbike a decoke over the weekend.
Word forms
| third person singular | decokes |
|---|---|
| past tense | decoked |
| past participle | decoked |
| present participle | decoking |
| plural | decokes |
Common combinations
- decoke an engine
- You should decoke the engine if it's losing power.
- give something a decoke
- The garage gave the car a decoke.
- need a decoke
- This old tractor needs a decoke.
Synonyms and how they differ
- decarbonize
- The more formal and American term for removing carbon from an engine; 'decoke' is informal and British.
Word family
- decoking noun
- The process of removing carbon deposits.
Commonly confused: decoke or decode?
decoke vs decode
To decode means to convert a coded message into ordinary language; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with engines.
Practice
The mechanic said the car needed a ______ to remove carbon from the engine.
Choose one answer.
'Decoke' is the correct term for removing carbon from an engine. 'Decode' means to interpret a message, 'decoy' is a lure, and 'decoct' means to extract by boiling, none of which fit the context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “decoke”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.