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

The company's data center division, which sells the high-powered chips used to train and run AI models, was once again the engine of growth.

From Barron's

Tech companies are going to extraordinary measures to get that electricity, including using converted jet engines as power turbines and making special deals with Bitcoin mining companies to divert the crypto power to AI.

From Barron's

With its bell ringing and black smoke rolling, the engine came around the bend.

From Literature

But the arrival of these goods is sparking acute angst in Germany – the traditional engine of Europe but one that's been stuttering, economically, for years.

From BBC

On growth, he said consumer spending, not AI investment, has been the primary engine of the economy in 2025.

From Barron's

Related Words

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