engine

The word “engine” means a machine that converts fuel or energy into motion or force, especially the part of a vehicle that powers it. In plain terms, the part of a machine that makes it go, or more loosely, anything (software, a person, an industry) that drives something forward.

“Engine” is pronounced EHND-zhihn (/ˈɛnd͡ʒɪn/ in IPA).

Here is “engine” used in a sentence: “The mechanic spent all afternoon trying to figure out why the engine wouldn't start.”

Words with a similar meaning to “engine” include motor and locomotive.

“Engine” is a noun.

The word “engine” comes from Latin. From Old French engin ("skill, cleverness, war machine"), from Latin ingenium ("innate talent, natural ability") — the same root that gives us "ingenious".

“Engine” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Engine” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a machine that converts fuel or energy into motion or force, especially the part of a vehicle that powers it.

The words overlap, but 'engine' usually means a machine that burns fuel to create motion, like a car's gasoline engine. 'Motor' more often means one powered by electricity, like an electric motor. That said, people use them loosely, and 'motor' has long been a casual word for a car engine too.

Common types include the internal combustion engine that burns gasoline or diesel, the jet engine that powers aircraft, the steam engine that drove early trains, and the electric motor. They differ in their fuel or energy source, but all share the same job of turning energy into useful movement or force.

The engine under a car's hood is the most familiar example, converting fuel into the motion that turns the wheels. Other examples include the jet engines on an aircraft, a lawnmower's small gasoline engine, and the powerful diesel engines that drive ships and locomotives across long distances.