Definition
A turbine engine system that injects and burns additional fuel in the exhaust stream behind the turbine, raising exhaust gas temperature and velocity to produce a short-term increase in thrust. Also known as an afterburner.
Plain English
An extra burner section behind the engine's turbine. The pilot can switch it on to dump more fuel into the hot exhaust gases, which then ignites and gives the engine a sudden boost of thrust.
Context Anchor
Seen in turbine engine and high-performance jet engine discussions, especially where afterburner operation, fuel flow, exhaust temperature, and thrust increase are being described.
Derivation
The name describes the action: the exhaust gases are 'reheated' after they have already passed through the main combustion chamber and turbine. British engineers favoured 'reheat'; American engineers favoured 'afterburner'. Both describe the same system.
Why Pilots Care
It provides rapid thrust increase for takeoff, climb, or supersonic flight but uses fuel at a high rate.
Grounding Statement
Picture the engine exhaust leaving hot, then being heated again just before it exits the engine so it pushes harder out the back.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse reheat with cabin heat or warming up an engine. In this context, reheat means burning extra fuel in the exhaust to increase thrust.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot engaged the reheat system on takeoff to get the heavily loaded fighter airborne within the available runway.
Example Sentence 2
Maintenance checked the reheat system fuel nozzles during the engine inspection.