1838, "waterwheel driven by the impact or reaction of a flowing stream of water," from French turbine (19c.), from Latin turbinem (nominative turbo) "spinning top, eddy, whirlwind, that which whirls," related to turba "turmoil, crowd" (see turbid). Originally applied to a wheel spinning on a vertical axis driven by falling water, later of mechanisms driven by the flow of air. Turbo in reference to gas turbine engines is attested from 1904.
