engine

engine — noun

1. a machine that burns fuel such as petrol, diesel, or coal to produce the power t

1.nounB1
Definition

a machine that burns fuel such as petrol, diesel, or coal to produce the power that makes a vehicle move or a machine operate

Example

Tendai turned the key and the car's engine started with a low rumble.

start + engine collocation

Before the flight, Christopher checked both engines on the small passenger plane.

check + engine before departure

Common collocations
  • start the engine
  • turn off the engine
  • diesel engine
  • jet engine
  • engine failure
  • engine trouble
Synonyms
  • motor

    Often used for electrical machines (fan motor, washing machine motor). For cars, 'motor' is informal British English for 'car' itself, not the engine.

  • power plant

    A very formal or technical term for the engine of a ship or large vehicle.

Grammar Patterns

countable noun

often modified by a type adjective (diesel / petrol / steam / jet)

Usage Note

Modified by the type of fuel or technology — petrol engine, diesel engine, jet engine, steam engine. The verb 'start' and 'turn off' are the most common actions paired with this sense.

Common Mistakes

The motor of my car is broken.
The engine of my car is broken.
In everyday English, most road vehicles have engines (fuel-burning). 'Motor' usually refers to an electrical device.

2. the vehicle at the front of a train that pulls the carriages or wagons along the

2.nounB1
Definition

the vehicle at the front of a train that pulls the carriages or wagons along the railway track

Example

The steam engine at the railway museum still runs every Sunday for visitors.

steam engine = locomotive

Noor watched the old diesel engine pull twenty heavy wagons up the steep hill.

Common collocations
  • steam engine
  • diesel engine
  • electric engine
  • engine driver
  • engine shed
Synonyms
  • locomotive

    More formal and technical. 'Locomotive' is preferred in official railway writing, while 'engine' is common in everyday British conversation.

Grammar Patterns

countable noun

often preceded by 'steam' or 'train'

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 — an engine (sense 2) is the whole vehicle that pulls a train, not just a power source inside another vehicle. Common in British railway contexts; 'locomotive' is the more formal term.

Common Mistakes

I saw an old engine driving on the highway.
I saw an old steam engine at the railway station.
This sense only refers to trains on railway tracks, not road vehicles.

3. something that strongly drives or pushes a process, economic activity, or develo

3.nounB2
Definition

something that strongly drives or pushes a process, economic activity, or development forward — for example, an industry that creates jobs, or an idea that transforms society

Example

Tourism is the main engine of economic growth on the tropical island.

engine of [economic] growth

Hui believes that small businesses are the engine of innovation in the city.

Common collocations
  • engine of growth
  • engine of change
  • economic engine
  • main engine
  • powerful engine
Synonyms
  • driver

    More informal and slightly weaker. 'The main driver of change' means an important factor, while 'the engine of change' suggests the primary source of power.

  • motor

    Used in similar metaphorical phrases (the motor of the economy), but less common than 'engine' in this sense.

  • catalyst

    A catalyst speeds up a change without being the main power source. 'Engine' implies being the central power itself.

Antonyms
  • brake

    Metaphorically, something that slows progress — 'bureaucracy acted as a brake on development.'

Grammar Patterns

engine of + abstract noun (growth / change / development)

Usage Note

Almost always followed by 'of' — engine of growth, engine of change, engine of prosperity. The noun after 'of' names the area being powered. This sense is metaphorical and never refers to a physical machine.

Common Mistakes

Tourism is a strong engine for economic growth.
Tourism is an engine of economic growth.
The correct preposition after this sense is 'of', not 'for'.
Education is the engine to create opportunities.
Education is the engine that creates opportunities.
Use a 'that'-clause, not a 'to'-infinitive.

engine — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Engine and motor overlap but have different core uses. An engine typically burns fuel (petrol, diesel, coal) to produce power through internal combustion or steam pressure. A motor usually converts electrical energy into mechanical movement — found in fans, washing machines, and electric vehicles. In everyday language, a car has an engine, an electric car has a motor, and a plane has engines. However, some contexts blur the line: an 'outboard motor' on a boat burns petrol, and people speak of a 'motor vehicle' whether it runs on petrol or electricity. In British English, 'motor' can informally mean a car ('nice motor!'). The safest guide for learners: if it burns fuel, call it an engine; if it runs on electricity, call it a motor.

engine ↗motor ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • engine room
  • engine failure
  • engine trouble
  • engine block
  • engine power
  • engine speed

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'engine' entered English from Old French 'engin', which meant 'skill, cleverness, or a clever device'. This came from Latin 'ingenium' — a combination of 'in-' (in) and 'gignere' (to produce, to beget) — meaning 'inborn talent, natural ability, or something ingeniously devised'. In the 14th century, an 'engine' was any clever invention or device, including weapons, tools, and even traps. By the 1600s it began to narrow toward mechanical machines, and during the Industrial Revolution (1700s–1800s) it became firmly associated with machines that produce power, especially steam engines. The modern sense split into the physical machine (sense 1) and the metaphorical 'driving force' (sense 3) in the 20th century.