engine

English Online Dictionary. What means engine‎? What does engine mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English engyn, from Anglo-Norman engine, Old French engin (“skill, cleverness, war machine”), from Latin ingenium (“innate or natural quality, nature, genius, a genius, an invention, (in Late Latin) a war-engine, battering-ram”), related to ingignō (“to instil by birth, implant, produce in”). Compare gin, ingenious, engineer.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈɛnd͡ʒɪn/
• (pin–pen merger) IPA^(key): /ˈɪnd͡ʒɪn/
• (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /ˈɛnd͡ʒən/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈend͡ʒɪn/, /ˈend͡ʒən/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈend͡ʒɘn/
• Hyphenation: en‧gine
• Rhymes: -ɛndʒɪn, (pin–pen merger) -ɪndʒɪn

Noun

engine (plural engines)

1. A large construction used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult etc. [from 14th c.]
2. (now archaic) A tool; a utensil or implement. [from 14th c.]
3. A complex mechanical device which converts energy into useful motion or physical effects. [from 16th c.]
4. A person or group of people which influence a larger group; a driving force. [from 16th c.]
6. The part of a car or other vehicle which provides the force for motion, now especially one powered by internal combustion. [from 19th c.]
7. A self-powered vehicle, especially a locomotive, used for pulling cars along a track. [from 19th c.]
9. (computing) A software or hardware system responsible for a specific technical task (usually with qualifying word). [from 20th c.]

10. (obsolete) Ingenuity; cunning, trickery, guile. [13th–17th c.]
11. (obsolete) The result of cunning; something ingenious, a contrivance; (in negative senses) a plot, a scheme. [13th–18th c.]
12. (obsolete) Natural talent; genius. [14th–17th c.]
13. Anything used to effect a purpose; any device or contrivance; an agent.

Synonyms

• motor
• locomotive

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

• → Afrikaans: enjin
• → Bengali: ইঞ্জিন (injin)
• → Hindi: इंजन (iñjan)
• → Iban: injin
• → Japanese: エンジン
  • → Hakka: 引擎 (ên-chín)
  • → Min Nan: 引擎 (ia̋n-jín)
• → Korean: 엔진 (enjin)
• → Malay: enjin
  • Indonesian: enjin
• → Scottish Gaelic: einnsean
• → Swahili: injini
• → Shanghainese: 引擎 (in¹-jin⁶)
  • → Chinese: 引擎 (yǐnqíng)

Translations

Verb

engine (third-person singular simple present engines, present participle engining, simple past and past participle engined)

1. (transitive, dated) To equip with an engine; said especially of steam vessels.

2. (transitive, obsolete) To assault with an engine.
3. (transitive, obsolete) To contrive; to put into action.

Further reading

• “engine”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “engine”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• ginnee

Chinese

Alternative forms

• N展 (en¹ zin²), N剪
• engin

Etymology 1

From clipping of English engineering.

Pronunciation

Noun

engine

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) engineering industry; engineer
2. (Hong Kong Cantonese, university slang) engineering

   • 我都話我讀Engine
     無乜識到女仔咯 [Cantonese, trad.]
     我都话我读Engine
     无乜识到女仔咯 [Cantonese, simp.]

     ngo⁵ dou¹ waa⁶ ngo⁵ duk⁶ en¹ zin²
     mou⁵ mat¹ sik¹ dou² neoi⁵ zai² lok³ [Jyutping]

     I said I'm studying engineering, don't really get to know girls much

Etymology 2

From English engine.

Pronunciation

Noun

engine

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) engine (mechanical device; part of a vehicle; computing)

Synonyms

• (engine):