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electric motor

American

noun

motor.

electric motor British

noun

a device that converts electrical energy to mechanical torque

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of electric motor

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

It was also connected to a small electric motor to produce electrical current.

From Science Daily • Feb. 27, 2026

That means all new cars will have to be electric, or hybrid - with both an internal combustion engine and electric motor.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025

Thor, the parent company of Airstream and Jayco, in September said Harbinger will provide the chassis for a new range-extended electric motor home called Embark, which will be made by Jayco division Entegra Coach.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

Basically, they work like this: The fuel cell combines hydrogen fuel with airborne oxygen to create electricity, in turn driving an electric motor that turns the wheels of the car.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2024

Did that explain why they had books and electric lights and wires and an electric motor?

From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023