Adjacent Words

Engine definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EN'GINE, n. [L. ingenium.]
1. In mechanics, a compound machine, or artificial instrument, composed of different parts, and intended to produce some effect by the help of the mechanical powers; as a pump, a windlas, a capstan, a fire engine, a steam engine.
2. A military machine; as a battering ram, etc.
3. Any instrument; that by which any effect is produced. An arrow, a sword, a musket is an engine of death.
4. A machine for throwing water to extinguish fire.
5. Means; any thing used to effect a purpose.
6. An agent for another; usually in an ill sense.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
2: something used to achieve a purpose; "an engine of change"
3: a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks [syn: locomotive, engine, locomotive engine, railway locomotive]
4: an instrument or machine that is used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult, artillery piece, etc.; "medieval engines of war"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English engin, from Anglo-French, from Latin ingenium natural disposition, talent, from in- + gignere to beget — more at kin Date: 13th century 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 • engineless adjective II. transitive verb (engined; engining) Date: 1868 to equip with engines

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a mechanical contrivance consisting of several parts working together, esp. as a source of power. 2 a a railway locomotive. b = fire-engine. c = steam engine. 3 archaic a machine or instrument, esp. a contrivance used in warfare. Phrases and idioms: engine-driver the driver of an engine, esp. a railway locomotive. engine-room a room containing engines (esp. in a ship). Derivatives: engined adj. (also in comb.). engineless adj. Etymology: OF engin f. L ingenium talent, device: cf. INGENIOUS

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Engine En"gine, n. [F. engin skill, machine, engine, L. ingenium natural capacity, invention; in in + the root of gignere to produce. See Genius, and cf. Ingenious, Gin a snare.] 1. (Pronounced, in this sense, ????.) Natural capacity; ability; skill. [Obs.] A man hath sapiences three, Memory, engine, and intellect also. --Chaucer. 2. Anything used to effect a purpose; any device or contrivance; an agent. --Shak. You see the ways the fisherman doth take To catch the fish; what engines doth he make? --Bunyan. Their promises, enticements, oaths, tokens, and all these engines of lust. --Shak. 3. Any instrument by which any effect is produced; especially, an instrument or machine of war or torture. ``Terrible engines of death.'' --Sir W. Raleigh. 4. (Mach.) A compound machine by which any physical power is applied to produce a given physical effect. Engine driver, one who manages an engine; specifically, the engineer of a locomotive. Engine lathe. (Mach.) See under Lathe. Engine tool, a machine tool. --J. Whitworth. Engine turning (Fine Arts), a method of ornamentation by means of a rose engine. Note: The term engine is more commonly applied to massive machines, or to those giving power, or which produce some difficult result. Engines, as motors, are distinguished according to the source of power, as steam engine, air engine, electro-magnetic engine; or the purpose on account of which the power is applied, as fire engine, pumping engine, locomotive engine; or some peculiarity of construction or operation, as single-acting or double-acting engine, high-pressure or low-pressure engine, condensing engine, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Engine En"gine, v. t. 1. To assault with an engine. [Obs.] To engine and batter our walls. --T. Adams. 2. To equip with an engine; -- said especially of steam vessels; as, vessels are often built by one firm and engined by another. 3. (Pronounced, in this sense, ?????.) To rack; to torture. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(engines) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. The engine of a car or other vehicle is the part that produces the power which makes the vehicle move. He got into the driving seat and started the engine. ...an engine failure that forced a jetliner to crash-land in a field. N-COUNT 2. An engine is also the large vehicle that pulls a railway train. In 1941, the train would have been pulled by a steam engine. N-COUNT

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

en'-jin (2Ch 26:15; Eze 26:9; /APC 1Macc 6:51; 13:43 f).

See SIEGE.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Machine. 2. Implement, instrument, weapon, agent, means.

Moby Thesaurus

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