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motive power

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noun
any power used to impart motion; any source of mechanical energy.
Railroads. locomotives or other vehicles that supply tractive power.
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Origin of motive power

First recorded in 1615–25
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use motive power in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for motive power

motive power

noun
any source of energy used to produce motion
the means of supplying power to an engine, vehicle, etc
any driving force
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
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