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outboard motor

American  

noun

  1. a portable gasoline engine with propeller and tiller, clamped on the stern of a boat.


Etymology

Origin of outboard motor

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

So when engine-maker Mercury Marine showed him an outboard motor that generates more horsepower than a Ferrari Portofino, he wanted four.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

The family was aboard the Pangaboat, a small boat with an outboard motor, along with several other people when it capsized at Del Mar Beach.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2025

They departed on Easter Sunday for Pikelot Atoll, about 115 miles away, in a traditional 20-foot skiff with an outboard motor, the Coast Guard added.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2024

Temple, set up a fair distance from the community’s push-off point, was double-checking the outboard motor of his canoe.

From Slate ● Dec. 16, 2023

Two men in khaki uniforms were on board, busy trying to start up the outboard motor.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

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