engine

noun en·gine \ ˈen-jən \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Examples: engine in a Sentence

Definition of engine

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: such 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

—

engineless

adjective

See engine defined for English-language learners

See engine defined for kids

Examples of engine in a Sentence

The car has a four-cylinder engine.
tanks, planes, and other engines of war
The tax cut could be an engine of economic growth.

Recent Examples of engine from the Web

Superjumbo sales have weakened as carriers opt for twin-engine wide-bodies that burn less fuel.

— tom lavell, Bloomberg.com, "Two Unwanted A380s Are Moving Closer to the Scrapheap," 5 June 2018
Baidu, China's search-engine giant, plans to partner with an airport to roll out facial recognition for airline passengers this year.

— author: ben guarino, emily rauhala, william wan, Anchorage Daily News, "China challenges American dominance of science," 4 June 2018
Baidu, China’s search-engine giant, plans to partner with an airport to roll out facial recognition for airline passengers this year.

— ben guarino, Washington Post, "China increasingly challenges American dominance of science," 3 June 2018
Engine/powertrain: 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder Atkinson cycle gasoline engine with 32-kw electric motor.

— g. chambers williams iii, star-telegram, "Hyundai’s 2018 Ioniq Hybrid gives consumers a sporty Prius alternative | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 26 May 2018
Power comes from a single turboshaft engine, the kind commonly used in conventional helicopters.

— jack stewart, WIRED, "Israel's Self-Flying 'Cormorant' Whisks Wounded Soldiers to Safety," 26 May 2018
Prices to ride on the bright green, twin-engine jet boat range from $30 to $49 per person.

— emma austin, The Courier-Journal, "Here's what's new at Waterfront Park this summer," 24 May 2018
Like a basketball version of a smoke detector or check-engine light, Golden State’s coach jolted towards the court to warn of impending danger, unleashing a hurried timeout call midway through the first quarter.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "The Warriors' Oldest Nemesis Returns With a Vengeance," 23 May 2018
For those of us who are not fancy enough to live anywhere near Musk’s test tunnel, there was news too — about bricks, locomotives running with Tesla Model 3 engines, and flamethrower delivery.

— elizabeth lopatto, The Verge, "The biggest news from Elon Musk’s Boring Company meeting in LA," 18 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'engine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of engine

Middle English engin, from Anglo-French, from Latin ingenium natural disposition, talent, from in- + gignere to beget — more at kin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

engine Synonyms

Synonyms

machine, motor;

Related Words

converter, transformer;

appliance, mechanism;

equipment, tool;

mill;

Other Mechanical Engineering Terms

centrifuge, differential, flange, lathe, linchpin, pinion, plenum, ratchet, traction

engine

verb

Definition of engine

engined; engining

transitive verb

: to equip with engines

Recent Examples of engine from the Web

Why can't engine manufacturers come up with an engine similar to what is on the more fuel-efficient aircraft — for example, producing a version of the engine that is on a 787 or a 777 — to fit and safely propel the 747?

— john cox, USA TODAY, "Ask the Captain: Can the 747 be saved?," 29 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of engine

1841

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

ENGINE Defined for English Language Learners

engine

noun

Definition of engine for English Language Learners

: a machine that changes energy (such as heat from burning fuel) into mechanical motion
: the vehicle that pulls a train
: something that is used for a particular purpose

ENGINE Defined for Kids

engine

noun en·gine \ ˈen-jən \

Definition of engine for Students

1 : a mechanical tool or device

tanks, planes, and other engines of war

2 : a machine for driving or operating something especially by using the energy of steam, gasoline, or oil

3 : locomotive

History for engine

The English word engine came from the Latin word ingenium, meaning “natural talent.” At first the word engine meant “skill” or “cleverness.” In time the word came to be used for things that are products of human skills and cleverness—tools and machines, for example.