engine

American  

[en-juhn] / ˈɛn dʒən /

noun

1. a machine for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy or power to produce force and motion.

2. a railroad locomotive.

3. a fire engine.

4. Computers. a piece or collection of software that drives a later process (used in combination, as in ).

5. any mechanical contrivance.

6. a machine or instrument used in warfare, as a battering ram, catapult, or piece of artillery.

7. a means by which something is achieved, accomplished, or furthered.

   Trade is an engine of growth that creates jobs, reduces poverty, and increases economic opportunity.

8. Obsolete. an instrument of torture, especially the rack.

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engine British  

/ ˈɛndʒɪn /

noun

1. any machine designed to convert energy, esp heat energy, into mechanical work

   a steam engine

   a petrol engine

2. 1. a railway locomotive

   2. ( as modifier )

      the engine cab

3. military any of various pieces of equipment formerly used in warfare, such as a battering ram or gun

4. obsolete any instrument or device

   engines of torture

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engine Scientific  

/ ĕn′jĭn /

1. A machine that turns energy into mechanical force or motion, especially one that gets its energy from a source of heat, such as the burning of a fuel. The efficiency of an engine is the ratio between the kinetic energy produced by the machine and the energy needed to produce it.

2. See more at internal-combustion engine steam engine See also motor

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Other Word Forms

• engineless adjective
• multiengine noun

Etymology

Origin of engine

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English engin, from Anglo-French, Old French engign, enging, from Latin ingenium “nature, innate quality, mental power, clever invention,” equivalent to in- “in” + -genium (equivalent to gen- “begetting” + -ium noun suffix); in- ², kin, -ium

Example Sentences

Helium is used to pressurise propellant tanks, and any fault in that system could affect the performance of the upper stage engine or the safe draining of the fuel.

From BBC

New light motor vehicles will offer opportunities to British-based businesses through vehicle support and maintenance, helping make defence an engine for growth, it added.

From BBC

The bigger problem is the Honda engine, which has suffered major reliability problems and is short on power and energy recovery.

From BBC

That movie put Matt Damon alone on Mars and made the act of thinking through one life-or-death problem after another the engine of the story.

From Los Angeles Times

“AI is and will continue to be one of our primary growth engines.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• appliance
• diesel
• generator
• instrument
• motor
• power plant
• tool
• transformer
• turbine
• weapon