engine turning
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of engine turning
First recorded in 1880–85
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.
Thudding drums, an electric guitar that chugs like a tank’s engine turning over and blaring trumpet fanfare announce the onset of football on CBS, Fox and NBC.
From Salon ● Mar. 18, 2026
This decorative technique is know as guilloché, which was invented in the 1500s and also is known as engine turning.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2023
His mind was a ceaselessly creative engine, turning out original movie scripts and screen adaptations of his own plays at a fantastic clip.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 26, 2018
“They’ll do enough to keep the engine turning over and be a big help in a crisis, but they’re not able to take the lead on policy formation,” he added.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2017
Well versed in the literacy of consumption, these people perform exactly the function expected: keep the economic engine turning.
From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
