Adjacent Words

automobile definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine; "he needs a car to get to work" [syn: car, auto, automobile, machine, motorcar] v
1: travel in an automobile

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: French, from aut- + mobile Date: 1883 automotive II. noun Date: circa 1889 a usually four-wheeled automotive vehicle designed for passenger transportation • automobile intransitive verb • automobilist noun

Britannica Concise

Four-wheeled automotive vehicle designed for passenger transportation, commonly propelled by an internal combustion engine using a volatile fuel. The modern automobile consists of about 14,000 parts, divided into several structural and mechanical systems. These include the steel body, containing the passenger and storage space, which sits on the chassis or steel frame; the internal combustion gasoline engine, which powers the car by means of a transmission; the steering and braking systems, which control the car's motion; and the electrical system, which includes a battery, alternator, and other devices. Subsystems involve fuel, exhaust, lubrication, cooling, suspension, and tires. Though experimental vehicles were built in the 18th and mid-19th cent., not until the 1880s did G. Daimler and C. Benz in Germany begin separately to manufacture cars commercially. In the U.S., James and William Packard (1863-1928, 1861-1923) and Ransom Olds (1864-1950) were among the first auto manufacturers, and by 1898 there were 50 U.S. manufacturers. Some early cars operated by steam engine, such as those made from c.1902 by F. and F. Stanley. The internal combustion engine was used by H. Ford when he introduced the Model T in 1908; Ford would soon revolutionize the industry with his use of the assembly line. In the 1930s European manufacturers began to make small, affordable cars such as the Volkswagen. In the 1950s and '60s, U.S. automakers produced larger, more luxurious cars with more automatic features. In the 1970s and '80s Japanese manufacturers exported their small, reliable, fuel-efficient cars worldwide, and their increasing popularity spurred U.S. automakers to produce similar models. See also axle, brake, bus, carburetor, electric automobile, fuel injection, motorcycle, truck.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. US a motor car. Etymology: F (as AUTO-, MOBILE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Automobile Au`to*mo"bile, n. [F.] An automobile vehicle or mechanism; esp., a self-propelled vehicle suitable for use on a street or roadway. Automobiles are usually propelled by internal combustion engines (using volatile inflammable liquids, as gasoline or petrol, alcohol, naphtha, etc.), steam engines, or electric motors. The power of the driving motor varies from about 4 to 50 H. P. for ordinary vehicles, ranging from the run-about to the touring car, up to as high as 200 H. P. for specially built racing cars. Automobiles are also commonly, and generally in British usage, called motor cars.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(automobiles) An automobile is a car. (mainly AM) N-COUNT

Foolish Dictionary

From Eng. ought to, and Lat. moveo, to move. A vehicle which ought to move, but frequently can't.

Moby Thesaurus

PCV valve, accelerator, alternator, ambulance, ammeter, armored car, auto, autocar, beach buggy, bearings, berlin, boat, bonnet, boot, brake, brougham, bucket seat, buggy, bumper, bus, cabriolet, camper, camshaft, car, carburetor, carryall, chassis, choke, clutch, coach, combat car, command car, connecting rod, convertible, convertible coupe, convertible sedan, convertible top, coupe, cowl, crank, crankcase, crankshaft, crate, cutout, cylinder, cylinder head, dash, dashboard, differential, distributor, double fueler, dragster, exhaust, exhaust pipe, fan, fastback, fender, fire engine, flywheel, fueler, gear, gearbox, gearshift, generator, gocart, golf cart, headlight, headrest, heap, hearse, hood, horn, hot rod, hovercar, ignition, intake, jalopy, jeep, landau, limousine, machine, manifold, motor, motor vehicle, motorcar, motorized vehicle, muffler, parking light, phaeton, piston, power brakes, power steering, race car, racer, racing car, radiator, rail, rear-view mirror, roadster, rocket car, runabout, saloon, seat belt, sedan, sedan limousine, shock absorber, spark plug, speedometer, sports car, springs, staff car, starter, station wagon, steamer, steering wheel, top, torpedo, tourer, touring coupe, tractor, transmission, tub, two-seater, universal, valve, voiture, wheels, windscreen, windshield, wreck, wrecker