engine

noun en·gine \ ˈen-jən \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

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

Authorities in Anchorage on Tuesday intercepted 5 pounds of heroin hidden inside the engine of an SUV shipped from Southern California to Alaska, according to federal charges filed Wednesday.

— author: kyle hopkins, Anchorage Daily News, "‘I guess I blew that operation’: Police intercept heroin shipment hidden in SUV," 13 Apr. 2018
Jeremy Woo: James Harden, Rockets As the engine behind the NBA’s best offense and best regular-season record, there shouldn’t be too much debate that this is Harden’s year to finally collect his hardware.

— the crossover staff, SI.com, "The Crossover's 2018 NBA Awards: A Rookie of the Year Battle for the Ages," 11 Apr. 2018
The engines are used primarily in military transport planes such as the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules and the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor transport.

— rye druzin, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio aerospace site will get a slice of $15 billion contract," 10 Apr. 2018
The engine has a nice note, and the transmission goes about its business in a seamless fashion.

— al haas, Philly.com, "Redesigned GMC Terrain Denali offers style, space, agility | Al Haas," 10 Apr. 2018
Witnesses told 10News the Good Samaritan was checking the engine under the hood when another car sped by and struck him.

— karen kucher, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Police seek hit-run driver who struck man helping motorist with car problems," 9 Apr. 2018
Enjoying the scenery was the only possible activity for passengers because the deafening noise from the three engines made conversations next to impossible.

— mike glenn, Houston Chronicle, "Piece of aviation history soars over Houston," 9 Apr. 2018
First baseman Chris Davis grounded into the shift for the inning's first out, but third baseman Tim Beckham started the engine again by singling through the vacated right side of the infield to chase Tanaka.

— jon meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Offense breaks out in five-run seventh as Orioles beat Yankees, 5-2, end five-game slide," 6 Apr. 2018
The Perry Point engine was the first to arrive at the burning building, reported just before 3 a.m. Easter Sunday.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Heroic firefighters talk about carrying woman, 93, out of Perryville inferno," 6 Apr. 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

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

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

ENGINE Defined for English Language Learners

engine

noun

: 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 \

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.