locomotive

American  

[loh-kuh-moh-tiv] / ˌloʊ kəˈmoʊ tɪv /

noun

• locomotives
  plural

1. a self-propelled, vehicular engine, powered by steam, a diesel, or electricity, for pulling or, sometimes, pushing a train or individual railroad cars.

2. an organized group cheer, usually led by a cheerleader, as at a football or basketball game, that begins slowly and progressively increases in speed in such a way as to suggest a steam locomotive.

3. Archaic. any self-propelled vehicle.

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adjective

1. of or relating to locomotives.

2. of, relating to, or aiding in locomotion or movement from place to place.

   the locomotive powers of most animals.

3. moving or traveling by means of its own mechanism or powers.

4. serving to produce such movement; adapted for or used in locomotion.

   locomotive organs.

5. having the power of locomotion.

   an animal that is locomotive at birth.

locomotive British  

/ ˌləʊkəˈməʊtɪv /

noun

1. 1. Also called: locomotive engine. a self-propelled engine driven by steam, electricity, or diesel power and used for drawing trains along railway tracks

   2. ( as modifier )

      a locomotive shed

      a locomotive works

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adjective

1. of or relating to locomotion

2. moving or able to move, as by self-propulsion

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• locomotiveness
  noun
• locomotivity
  noun
• unlocomotive
  adjective
• locomotively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• locomotives
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of locomotive

1605–15; < Latin locō, ablative of locus place + motive (adj.); compare Medieval Latin in locō movērī to change position

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Explanation

A locomotive is a train car that pulls the other cars along the track. It's most common to see a locomotive at the front or back of the train—and sometimes both. On a freight train, every single car is loaded with cargo that's being transported—like grain, steel, coal, or lumber—except for the locomotive. Its only job is to power the entire train, either pulling it, or pushing it from the rear. As an adjective, locomotive means "relating to movement," like the locomotive power of a vehicle. This word comes from the Latin roots loco, "from a place," and motivus, "moving."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

locomotive locomotives

It has frequently been involved in restoration projects, including helping to return a 75-year-old steam locomotive to working order.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

As she crossed the border, Anna Klymenko, a dermatologist in Kyiv, saw the locomotive that Russia had destroyed the day before.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

One Equity Partners is investing in railcar and locomotive maintenance and repair services provider Metro East Industries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

We watched candle-dipping artisans at work with wide eyes, heard the screaming whistle of the authentic steam locomotive train, and perused each room of the Dolly Parton Experience museum with glee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

The locomotive and the last car of each train were marked with a striped banner of orange and black, indicating that the train was not fair game for air-planes—that it was carrying prisoners of war.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Strathspey Railway has a fleet of steam and diesel locomotives which are run and maintained by a mix of volunteers and a small number of paid staff.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

In the 19th century, locomotives threw off hot embers that set nearby fields and barns ablaze.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

In August alone, some 40 locomotives were attacked across Ukraine, Pertsovsky told AFP in a telephone interview.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

Big Boy 4014 and 4009 are among 25 Big Boy locomotives built in Schenectady, N.Y., for Union Pacific in the 1940s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Our classes were often interrupted by the rumble of coal cars and the moans of steam locomotives going past.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

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