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

Both Red Bull teams continued to use its engines until the end of last year.

From BBC

There’s little debate, however, that consumer spending remains the economy’s most-powerful engine, and is responsible for around two-thirds of overall GDP growth in any given year.

From Barron's

Meanwhile, Esrange is hosting ground tests for Themis, Europe's first reusable rocket, as well as engine testing for German start-up Isar Aerospace.

From BBC

Alts, too, have pivoted toward private credit as their primary engine for growth, filling a void that was left behind as regulators cracked down on banks following the 2008 financial crisis.

From Barron's

The carrier, which procured the parts via its suppliers, found fraudulent components on 28 of its engines, and incurred close to $30 million in costs from removing aircraft from service and repairing the turbines.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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