In a piston engine, the bore (or cylinder bore) is the diameter of each cylinder.
Engine displacement is calculated based on bore, stroke length and the number of cylinders:[1]
displacement = π ( 1/2 × bore )2 × stroke × ncylinders
The stroke ratio, determined by dividing the bore by the stroke, traditionally indicated whether an engine was designed for power at high engine speeds (rpm) or torque at lower engine speeds.[2][3] The term "bore" can also be applied to the bore of a locomotive cylinder or steam engine pistons.