Wiktionary
n. (context engineering English) A valve that diverts exhaust gases.
Wikipedia
A wastegate is a valve that diverts exhaust gases away from the turbine wheel in a turbocharged engine system.
Diversion of exhaust gases regulates the turbine speed, which in turn regulates the rotating speed of the compressor. The primary function of the wastegate is to regulate the maximum boost pressure in turbocharger systems, to protect the engine and the turbocharger. One advantage of installing a remote mount wastegate to a free-float (or non-WG) turbo includes allowance for a smaller A/R turbine housing, resulting in less lag time before the turbo begins to spool and create boost.
Usage examples of "wastegate".
As plasma gated through the choke and into a feed tube, it was either consumed by the Drive crystal itself (which directly converted the raw energy into Hy-perThrust), or it was released to space itself by an automatic wastegate activated when gravitron pressure exceeded certain limits.
Flinching at the thought of an exploding Drive crystal only iralsJrom his back, he opened the wastegate farther, and the pressure at the crystal immediately dropped—below minimums.