locomotive
noun
a self-propelled, vehicular engine, powered by steam, a diesel, or electricity, for pulling or, sometimes, pushing a train or individual railroad cars.
locomotives
-
pluralof locomotive.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
In February, Fortescue started running two battery-electric locomotives from Caterpillar’s Progress Rail on its railroad, which it said will reduce its diesel use by roughly 1 million liters annually.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
Once they lowered engines, boilers or heavy cargoes like steam locomotives into the belllies of ships.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
The so-called debasement trade as well as a drive for hard assets in a period of rising inflation and its safe-haven allure have been the chief locomotives of the breathtaking rally in silver.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 13, 2026
Great Britain delivered locomotives and ship models, including an exquisite thirty-foot replica of Britain’s latest warship, Victoria, so detailed that even the links of chain in its handrails were to scale.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
