switch engine


nounRailroads.
  1. a locomotive for switching rolling stock in a yard.

Origin of switch engine

1
An Americanism dating back to 1865–70
  • Also called switcher, switching locomotive.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use switch engine in a sentence

  • After all, while Laughlin, like Paul, was a party switcher, he was their party switcher.

  • The Switcher preferred to write in the rough lingo, wherein he best expressed himself.

    A Book of Scoundrels | Charles Whibley
  • And, by way of contrast, while the Switcher was an accomplished artist, Gentleman Harry was a roystering braggart.

    A Book of Scoundrels | Charles Whibley
  • The amp, speakers, and A/V switcher were all missing from her home theater.

    Makers | Cory Doctorow
  • But when you leave the study for the field, the Switcher instantly declares his superiority.

    A Book of Scoundrels | Charles Whibley
  • And it is as the Switcher that Haggart keeps his memory green.

    A Book of Scoundrels | Charles Whibley