engine

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: en=gine

CIDE DICTIONARY

engine, 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.].

•  Anything used to effect a purpose; any device or contrivance; a machine; an agent.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "(Pronounced, in this sense, .)"  [1913 Webster]

  "A man hath sapiences three,
  Memory, engine, and intellect also."  [1913 Webster]
•  Any instrument by which any effect is produced; especially, an instrument or machine of war or torture.  Sir W. Raleigh.  [1913 Webster]

  "You see the ways the fisherman doth take
  To catch the fish; what engines doth he make?"  [1913 Webster]

  "Their promises, enticements, oaths, tokens, and all these engines of lust."  [1913 Webster]
•  A compound machine by which any physical power is applied to produce a given physical effect.  [1913 Webster]

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.

engine, v. t. 

•  To assault with an engine.  [1913 Webster]

  "To engine and batter our walls."  [1913 Webster]
•  To equip with an engine; -- said especially of steam vessels; as, vessels are often built by one firm and engined by another.  [1913 Webster]
•  (Pronounced, in this sense, Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

engine, 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.

Idiom

engine-driver the driver of an engine, esp. a railway locomotive. engine-room a room containing engines (esp. in a ship).

Derivative

engined adj. (also in comb.). engineless adj.

Etymology

OF engin f. L ingenium talent, device: cf. INGENIOUS

THESAURUS

engine

AC motor, Corliss engine, Otto engine, Wankel engine, aeromotor, air engine, alembic, anvil, apparatus, appliance, arc-jet engine, axial-flow turbojet, beam engine, bearings, blowing engine, boiler, caldron, cam, cam engine, camshaft, capacitor motor, commutator motor, compensated motor, compound motor, condensing engine, connecting rod, convenience, crankcase, crankshaft, crucible, cylinder, cylinder head, diagonal engine, differential, direct-acting engine, donkey engine, drive, dynamo, dynamotor, electric motor, enginery, facility, fire engine, fixture, flywheel, gas jet, gas turbine engine, gearbox, gears, generator, hot-air engine, hydraulic engine, hydro-jet, impulse duct engine, inverted engine, ion engine, ion rocket, jet, lathe, locomotive, machine, machinery, mechanical aid, mechanical device, mechanism, melting pot, mortar, motive power, motor, outboard motor, pancake engine, piston, piston engine, piston rod, piston-valve engine, plasma engine, portable engine, power plant, power source, propeller-jet engine, propjet, pulse-jet engine, pumping engine, radial engine, ramjet, ramjet engine, reciprocating engine, refrigerating engine, resojet engine, retort, rocket engine, rocket motor, rotary engine, rotary-piston engine, rotor motor, servomotor, shunt motor, steam engine, supercharged engine, synchronous motor, test tube, three-phase motor, traction engine, transducer, transformer, transmission, turbine, turbojet, turbojet engine, turboprop, utility, variable-speed motor, vernier engine, vertical engine

ROGET THESAURUS

engine

Instrument

N instrument, machinery, mechanism, engineering, instrument, organ, tool, implement, utensil, machine, engine, lathe, gin, mill, air engine, caloric engine, heat engine, gear, tackle, tackling, rig, rigging, apparatus, appliances, plant, materiel, harness, trappings, fittings, accouterments, barde, equipment, equipmentage, appointments, furniture, upholstery, chattels, paraphernalia, mechanical powers, lever, leverage, mechanical advantage, crow, crowbar, handspike, gavelock, jemmy, jimmy, arm, limb, wing, oar, paddle, pulley, wheel and axle, wheelwork, clockwork, wheels within wheels, pinion, crank, winch, cam, pedal, capstan, wheel, inclined plane, wedge, screw, spring, mainspring, can hook, glut, heald, heddle, jenny, parbuckle, sprag, water wheel, handle, hilt, haft, shaft, heft, shank, blade, trigger, tiller, helm, treadle, key, turnscrew, screwdriver, knocker, hammer, edge tool, borer, vice, teeth, nail, rope, peg, support, spoon, arms, oar, cardiograph, recapper, snowplow, tenpenny, votograph, instrumental, mechanical, machinal, brachial.