# visbreaker

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A processing unit in oil refinery that reduces the quantity of residual oil produced in the distillation of crude oil to increase the yield of more valuable middle distillates (heating oil and diesel) by thermally cracking large hydrocarbon molecules in the oil.

## Etymology
From viscosity breaker.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/visbreaker