engine

noun en·gine \ ˈen-jən \

|Updated on: 4 Aug 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

Pilots are reminded to lessen noise during nighttime departures by reducing the thrust of the engine after climbing to lessen noise, Szczesniak said.

— michelle theriault boots, Anchorage Daily News, "Readers had lots of questions about airplane noise from the airport’s runway closure. Here are some answers.," 10 July 2018
As fire hoses pump the retardant into awaiting LVATs, the bridge above the pumps vibrates, echoing the colossal whir of the tanker's engine.

— julia sclafani and jordan cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "Seen those tankers above Sacramento? The low-down on Cal Fire's biggest base at McClellan," 3 July 2018
According to the car manufacturer, the diaphragm material in the fuel pulsation dampers of certain engines can harden over time and crack, allowing fuel to leak and creating a risk of fire.

— renae reints, Fortune, "Lexus Recalls 121,000 Cars Due to Risk of Fuel Leaks," 27 June 2018
This has lead to the prevalence of game engines (and games) that are almost trivial to release on console and PC.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Microsoft Might Add Mouse and Keyboard Support to the Xbox," 26 June 2018
About 20 minutes into the flight, one of the Boeing 737's engines failed and broke apart sending pieces of shrapnel flying through the air.

— lori aratani, chicagotribune.com, "Passengers on fatal Southwest flight sue airline, Boeing," 21 June 2018
About one-third of the gasoline that goes into this sort of engine is spewed out, unburned, in an aerosol mixed with oil in the exhaust.

— ken goe, OregonLive.com, "Florida poised for NCAA men's title; UO women wait for Saturday: Oregon track & field rundown," 8 June 2018
The incident spurred industry-wide inspections of similar engines aboard Boeing 737 aircraft.

— bart jansen, USA TODAY, "Southwest says bookings down following fatal accident," 4 June 2018
When idling, the turning of the 3,200-horsepower engine imparts a rhythmic, seat-of-your-pants rocking feel to the locomotive cab.

— kevin spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "SunRail trains driven by women engineers for 1st time," 30 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.