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

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Etymology

Origin of locomotive

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

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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

It has frequently been involved in restoration projects, including helping to return a 75-year-old steam locomotive to working order.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

As she crossed the border, Anna Klymenko, a dermatologist in Kyiv, saw the locomotive that Russia had destroyed the day before.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

We watched candle-dipping artisans at work with wide eyes, heard the screaming whistle of the authentic steam locomotive train, and perused each room of the Dolly Parton Experience museum with glee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

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

That creates steam in the engine, which makes the locomotive move forward.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman

But attacks are intensifying, with more than half of all strikes on locomotives since then occurring this year alone, according to the state-owned operator.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

In August alone, some 40 locomotives were attacked across Ukraine, Pertsovsky told AFP in a telephone interview.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

It wants to add battery power to existing locomotives and pair that with so-called dynamic charging technology that would allow them to recharge while moving, said Langer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 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

Smokestacks fume and locomotives trundle back and forth on elevated conduits and leafless trees stand atop slag heaps like skeleton hands shoved up from the underworld.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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