engine
Americannoun
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a machine for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy or power to produce force and motion.
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a railroad locomotive.
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a fire engine.
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Computers. a piece or collection of software that drives a later process (used in combination, as in ).
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any mechanical contrivance.
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a machine or instrument used in warfare, as a battering ram, catapult, or piece of artillery.
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a means by which something is achieved, accomplished, or furthered.
Trade is an engine of growth that creates jobs, reduces poverty, and increases economic opportunity.
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Obsolete. an instrument of torture, especially the rack.
noun
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any machine designed to convert energy, esp heat energy, into mechanical work
a steam engine
a petrol engine
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a railway locomotive
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( as modifier )
the engine cab
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military any of various pieces of equipment formerly used in warfare, such as a battering ram or gun
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obsolete any instrument or device
engines of torture
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A machine that turns energy into mechanical force or motion, especially one that gets its energy from a source of heat, such as the burning of a fuel. The efficiency of an engine is the ratio between the kinetic energy produced by the machine and the energy needed to produce it.
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See more at internal-combustion engine steam engine See also motor
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of engine
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English engin, from Anglo-French, Old French engign, enging, from Latin ingenium “nature, innate quality, mental power, clever invention,” equivalent to in- “in” + -genium (equivalent to gen- “begetting” + -ium noun suffix); see in- 2, kin, -ium
Explanation
An engine is a machine that burns fuel to make something move. The engine in a car is the motor that makes it go. Engines power vehicles including cars, trains, airplanes, and boats. While these engines tend to be powered by fuel that's burned, other engines get their power from electricity, which they convert to mechanical energy — fans, power tools, and small appliances all commonly have electric engines. Figuratively, you can also use the word engine to mean "something that's used to bring about a specific result." In your state, for example, tourism might be the main engine of job growth.
Vocabulary lists containing engine
Engineering - Introductory
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Mechanical Engineering
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Engineering - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It features the L550 engine prominently in photos and a promotional video.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Tuesday, the truck engine maker reported External link first-quarter earnings per share of $4.71 from sales of $8.4 billion.
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
Airbus engine problems resulted in temporarily grounded planes, and Spirit lost billions in just a few post-COVID years.
From Slate • May 5, 2026
At main engine cutoff, when the RS-25 engines shut down, the spacecraft was traveling at more than 18,000 miles per hour and reached its intended orbital insertion point with high precision.
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
"You can do the fire engine if you want, Dad," Sam said.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
