automobile

American  

[aw-tuh-muh-beel, aw-tuh-muh-beel, aw-tuh-moh-beel, -buhl] / ˌɔ tə məˈbil, ˈɔ tə məˌbil, ˌɔ təˈmoʊ bil, -bəl /

noun

1. a passenger vehicle designed for operation on ordinary roads and typically having four wheels and a gasoline or diesel internal-combustion engine.

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adjective

1. of or relating to automobiles; automotive.

automobile British  

/ -ˈməʊbɪlɪst, ˌɔːtəməˈbiːlɪst, ˈɔːtəməˌbiːl /

noun

1. another word (esp US) for car

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Other Word Forms

• automobilist noun

Etymology

Origin of automobile

1865–70; < French: literally, self-movable (vehicle). See auto- ¹, mobile

Example Sentences

Rare-earth elements are key ingredients in a range of modern technologies—from advanced weaponry and automobiles to the chips that power artificial intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal

Despite his tariffs, Japan still maintains a large bilateral trade surplus, especially in the automobile sector.

From Barron's

At one end, a small but growing cohort of educated and skilled women is entering salaried roles in IT, automobile manufacturing and business services.

From BBC

The astronomical clock in any case was so jarred and jiggled by the constant rattle of automobile traffic in the narrow street outside that it was no longer the precision instrument it had been.

From Literature

“I daresay this is the first mishap between horse-drawn vehicle and automobile in rural Parke County in the twentieth century, or in fact human history.”

From Literature

Related Words

• auto
• bus
• convertible
• limousine
• passenger car
• pickup truck
• sports car
• station wagon
• taxi
• transportation
• truck
• van