engine

28 entries found for engine. The first 10 are listed below.
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engine[1,noun] engine[2,transitive verb] diesel engine donkey engine engine driver external combustion engine fire engine fire-engine red heat engine in-line engine

Main Entry: ¹en·gine
Pronunciation: 'en-j&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English engin, from Anglo-French, from Latin ingenium natural disposition, talent, from in- + gignere to beget -- more at KIN
1 obsolete a : INGENUITY b : evil contrivance : WILE
2 a : something used to effect a purpose : AGENT, INSTRUMENT <mournful and terrible engine of horror and of crime -- E. A. Poe> b : something that produces a particular and usually desirable result <engines of economic growth>
3 a : a mechanical tool: as (1) : an instrument or machine of war (2) obsolete : a torture implement b : MACHINERY c : any of various mechanical appliances -- often used in combination <fire engine>
4 : a machine for converting any of various forms of energy into mechanical force and motion; also : a mechanism or object that serves as an energy source <black holes may be the engines for quasars>
5 : a railroad locomotive
6 : computer software that performs a fundamental function especially of a larger program
- en·gine·less adjective