Definition
An aircraft whose engine delivers fuel directly into the intake ports or cylinders through a fuel injection system, rather than mixing fuel and air in a carburetor. Because there is no carburetor venturi to cool the incoming air, fuel-injected engines are not subject to carburetor icing, but their induction air filters and air inlets can still be blocked by impact ice or other induction icing.
Plain English
An aircraft engine that sprays fuel straight into the engine instead of mixing it with air in a carburetor. These engines don't get carburetor ice, but ice can still block the air intake.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of induction icing, especially when comparing carburetor icing with ice that can block the engine air intake on fuel-injected engines.
Derivation
"Inject" comes from the Latin injicere, meaning "to throw in." In a fuel-injected engine, fuel is thrown in directly to the cylinders or intake ports under pressure, rather than being drawn in through a carburetor.
Why Pilots Care
Fuel-injected engines are far less susceptible to carburetor icing, removing one common induction-icing hazard during flight in visible moisture.
Intuition Check
Fuel-injected does not mean ice-proof. It only means the engine does not use a carburetor to mix fuel and air.
Example Sentence 1
Because the Cirrus is a fuel-injected aircraft, the checklist has no carburetor heat item, but it does include checking the alternate air source.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight, the pilot noted the fuel-injected aircraft still required checks for alternate air sources in case of impact icing on the intake.