A four-stroke cycle for internal-combustion engines consisting of the following operations: First stroke, suction into cylinder of explosive charge, as of gas and air; second stroke, compression, ignition, and explosion of this charge; third stroke (the working stroke), expansion of the gases; fourth stroke, expulsion of the products of combustion from the cylinder. This is the cycle invented by Beau de Rochas in 1862 and applied by Dr. Otto in 1877 in the Otto-Crossley gas engine, the first commercially successful internal-combustion engine made.

The four operations of intake, compression, power, and exhaust (4-cycle engine). Named for inventor Doctor Nikolaus Otto.

Thermodynamic cycle used in engines, in which combustion is fired by a spark. Its fuel is gasoline, alcohol or a mix of both. All cylinder engines powered by gasoline are based on this principle.