engineer

[ en-juh-neer ]

/ ˌɛn dʒəˈnɪər /

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See synonyms for: engineer / engineered / engineering on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person trained and skilled in the design, construction, and use of engines or machines, or in any of various branches of engineering: a mechanical engineer; a civil engineer.

a person who operates or is in charge of an engine.

Also called locomotive engineer .Railroads. a person who operates or is in charge of a locomotive.

a member of an army, navy, or air force specially trained in engineering work.

Digital Technology. a person skilled in the design and programming of computer systems: a software engineer;a web engineer.

a skillful manager: a political engineer.

verb (used with object)

to plan, construct, or manage as an engineer: He's engineered several big industrial projects.

to design or create using the techniques or methods of engineering: The motor has been engineered to run noiselessly.

to arrange, manage, or carry through by skillful or artful contrivance: He certainly engineered the election campaign beautifully.

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Origin of engineer

1350–1400; engine + -eer; replacing Middle English engin(e)our<Anglo-French engineorOld French engigneor<Medieval Latin ingeniātor, equivalent to ingeniā(re) to design, devise (verbal derivative of ingenium;see engine) + Latin -tor-tor

OTHER WORDS FROM engineer

sub·en·gi·neer, nounun·en·gi·neered, adjectivewell-en·gi·neered, adjective

Words nearby engineer

engild, engin., engine, engine company, engine driver, engineer, engineering, engineering geology, engineer officer, engineer's chain, engine house

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use engineer in a sentence

In fact, researchers beyond Neuralink are working on it now, including Alik Widge, a psychiatrist and biomedical engineer at the University of Minnesota.
Elon Musk’s brain company plans a big reveal on Friday. Here’s what we already know|Verne Kopytoff|August 27, 2020|Fortune
Future engineers might also look into developing qubits that are somehow less sensitive to radiation.
Cosmic rays could pose a problem for future quantum computers|Neel Patel|August 26, 2020|MIT Technology Review
He’s a chemical engineer at the University of California, Davis.
Dust can infect animals with flu, raising coronavirus concerns|Erin Garcia de Jesus|August 24, 2020|Science News For Students
Once again, engineers have to carefully set up the system for each ballpark.
A robot referee can really keep its ‘eye’ on the ball|Kathryn Hulick|August 20, 2020|Science News For Students

Solving for these physical and psychological hurdles has kept architects, engineers and designers busy over the last few months.
How to design an office that employees will want to return to|Anne Quito|August 9, 2020|Quartz
As a nascent sound engineer, Brinsley “tried the best he could.”
Alleged Cop Killer’s Blood-Soaked Screenplay|M.L. Nestel|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The former apprentice engineer retained a lifelong interest in the way things worked.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One week of salaries for four musicians and two crew members (front of house engineer and tour manager) cost us $8794.
How Much Money Does a Band Really Make on Tour?|Jack Conte|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When engineer Williams first heard the song, it reminded him of hit songs by Johnny “Guitar” Watson.
‘The Prince of Chocolate City’: When Gil Scott-Heron Became A Music Icon|Marcus Baram|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Three of the six members of the group work on the channel full time, but Sep has a full time job as a mechanical engineer.
The Addictive Curse of ‘Let’s Plays’|Tom Sykes|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The engineer officer charged with preparing the line of retreat reported that the one bridge across the Elster was not sufficient.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Fulton, the American engineer, (originally a painter) studied here in 1795.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
"I thought we hit a man," said the engineer, swinging his lantern far out into the darkness.
A Lost Hero|Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward and Herbert D. Ward
The engineer took his lantern and silently went back and swung the spot of fire in the black, cold air.
A Lost Hero|Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward and Herbert D. Ward
A practical mining engineer who was recently sent to examine and report on this property says that it is 100 per cent.
Asbestos|Robert H. Jones

British Dictionary definitions for engineer

engineer

/ (ˌɛndʒɪˈnɪə) /

noun

a person trained in any branch of the profession of engineering

the originator or manager of a situation, system, etc

a mechanic; person who repairs or services machines

US and Canadian the driver of a railway locomotive

an officer responsible for a ship's engines

Informal name: sapper a member of the armed forces, esp the army, trained in engineering and construction work

verb (tr)

to originate, cause, or plan in a clever or devious mannerhe engineered the minister's downfall

to design, plan, or construct as a professional engineer

Word Origin for engineer

C14: enginer, from Old French engigneor, from engignier to contrive, ultimately from Latin ingenium skill, talent; see engine

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

engineer

Origin of engineer

OTHER WORDS FROM engineer

Words nearby engineer

Words related to engineer

How to use engineer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for engineer

Word Origin for engineer