locomotive

American  

[loh-kuh-moh-tiv] / ˌloʊ kəˈmoʊ tɪv /

noun

• locomotives
  plural

1. a self-propelled, vehicular engine, powered by steam, a diesel, or electricity, for pulling or, sometimes, pushing a train or individual railroad cars.

2. an organized group cheer, usually led by a cheerleader, as at a football or basketball game, that begins slowly and progressively increases in speed in such a way as to suggest a steam locomotive.

3. Archaic. any self-propelled vehicle.

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adjective

1. of or relating to locomotives.

2. of, relating to, or aiding in locomotion or movement from place to place.

   the locomotive powers of most animals.

3. moving or traveling by means of its own mechanism or powers.

4. serving to produce such movement; adapted for or used in locomotion.

   locomotive organs.

5. having the power of locomotion.

   an animal that is locomotive at birth.

locomotive British  

/ ˌləʊkəˈməʊtɪv /

noun

1. 1. Also called: locomotive engine.  a self-propelled engine driven by steam, electricity, or diesel power and used for drawing trains along railway tracks

   2. ( as modifier )

      a locomotive shed

      a locomotive works

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adjective

1. of or relating to locomotion

2. moving or able to move, as by self-propulsion

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• locomotiveness
  noun
• locomotivity
  noun
• unlocomotive
  adjective
• locomotively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• locomotives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of locomotive

1605–15; < Latin locō, ablative of locus place + motive (adj.); compare Medieval Latin in locō movērī to change position

Explanation

A locomotive is a train car that pulls the other cars along the track. It's most common to see a locomotive at the front or back of the train—and sometimes both. On a freight train, every single car is loaded with cargo that's being transported—like grain, steel, coal, or lumber—except for the locomotive. Its only job is to power the entire train, either pulling it, or pushing it from the rear. As an adjective, locomotive means "relating to movement," like the locomotive power of a vehicle. This word comes from the Latin roots loco, "from a place," and motivus, "moving."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

locomotive locomotives

More than one analyst thinks it’s oversold and that a reversal is coming with buying from central banks the chief locomotive for any move upwards.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

A third character was named Henry, an engine who hated the rain and was actually inspired by a real American locomotive that had gone wrong and was left in a tunnel.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

They’re colorful playthings, at least until the background scenery starts depicting various locomotive styles.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026

His days on the railroad involved long hours shoveling coal into the furnaces that fed locomotive steam engines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

The California boat labored to catch up, Grover Clark’s whistle now shrieking like an out-of-control steam locomotive.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

When the steam engine was adapted to power locomotives, the cost of overland shipping dropped precipitously.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Fortescue—the world’s fourth-largest producer of iron ore—operates roughly 470 miles of rail in remote northwest Australia, with a fleet of 70 locomotives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

Once they lowered engines, boilers or heavy cargoes like steam locomotives into the belllies of ships.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

"A new season is beginning: Italy has a leading role, it wants to be one of the locomotives of the EU," he said.

From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026

I was literally overwhelmed when, in reading the works of Russian revolutionists, I came across descriptions of the “holiday energies of the masses,” “the locomotives of history,” “the conditions prerequisite for revolution,” and so Forth.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• engine