motor

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: mo=tor

CIDE DICTIONARY

motor, n. [L., fr. movere, motum, to move.].

•  One who, or that which, imparts motion; a source of mechanical power.  [1913 Webster]
•  A prime mover; a machine by means of which a source of power, as steam, moving water, electricity, etc., is made available for doing mechanical work.  [1913 Webster]
•  A motor car; an automobile.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

motor, a. [L. motorius that has motion. See Motor, n.].

 Causing or setting up motion; pertaining to organs of motion; -- applied especially in physiology to those nerves or nerve fibers which only convey impressions from a nerve center to muscles, thereby causing motion.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

motor, n. & v.
--n.
1 a thing that imparts motion.
2 a machine (esp. one using electricity or internal combustion) supplying motive power for a vehicle etc. or for some other device with moving parts.
3 Brit. = motor car.
4 (attrib.) a giving, imparting, or producing motion. b driven by a motor (motor-mower). c of or for motor vehicles. d Anat. relating to muscular movement or the nerves activating it.
--v.intr. & tr. Brit. go or convey in a motor vehicle.

Idiom

motor area the part of the frontal lobe of the brain associated with the initiation of muscular action. motor bicycle a motor cycle or moped. motor bike colloq. = motor cycle. motor boat a motor-driven boat. motor car Brit. see CAR 1. motor cycle a two-wheeled motor-driven road vehicle without pedal propulsion. motor cyclist a rider of a motor cycle. motor mouth US sl. a person who talks incessantly and trivially. motor nerve a nerve carrying impulses from the brain or spinal cord to a muscle. motor scooter see SCOOTER. motor vehicle a road vehicle powered by an internal-combustion engine.

Derivative

motorial adj. (in sense 4a of n.). motory adj. (in sense 4a of n.).

Etymology

L, = mover (as MOVE)

THESAURUS

motor

active, aeromotor, alembic, anvil, appliance, arc-jet engine, auto, autocar, automobile, axial-flow turbojet, bicycle, bike, boat, buggy, bus, caldron, cam engine, car, catch a train, charioteer, chauffeur, convenience, crate, crucible, cycle, drive, driving, engine, enginery, entrain, facility, fixture, gas jet, go by rail, heap, impelling, impulse duct engine, in motion, inverted engine, jalopy, joyride, lathe, machine, machinery, make a train, mechanical aid, mechanical device, mechanism, melting pot, mobile, mortar, motile, motivational, motive, motive power, motor vehicle, motorcar, motorcycle, motorized vehicle, moving, pancake engine, pedal, pilot, piston engine, power plant, power source, propellant, propeller-jet engine, propelling, propjet, radial engine, ramjet, reciprocating engine, retort, ride, rocket motor, rotary engine, stirring, supercharged engine, take a joyride, taxi, test tube, tool, transducer, transformer, transitional, traveling, tub, turbine, turbojet, turboprop, utility, vertical engine, voiture, wheel, wheels, wreck

ROGET THESAURUS

motor

Carrier

N carrier, porter, bearer, tranter, conveyer, cargador, express, expressman, stevedore, coolie, conductor, locomotive, motor, beast, beast of burden, cattle, horse, nag, palfrey, Arab, blood horse, thoroughbred, galloway, charger, courser, racer, hunter, jument, pony, filly, colt, foal, barb, roan, jade, hack, bidet, pad, cob, tit, punch, roadster, goer, racehorse, pack horse, draft horse, cart horse, dray horse, post horse, ketch, Shetland pony, shelty, sheltie, garran, garron, jennet, genet, bayard, mare, stallion, gelding, bronco, broncho, cayuse, creature, critter, cow pony, mustang, Narraganset, waler, stud, Pegasus, Bucephalus, Rocinante, ass, donkey, jackass, mule, hinny, sumpter horse, sumpter mule, burro, cuddy, ladino, reindeer, camel, dromedary, llama, elephant, carrier pigeon, pallet, brace, cart, dolley, support, fork lift, carriage, ship, equine, asinine.