motor

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

English

Etymology

From Middle English motour (“controller, prime mover; God”), from Latin mōtor (“mover; that which moves something”), from mōtō (“I set in motion”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈməʊtə/
• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈmoʊtəɹ/, [ˈmoʊɾɚ]
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈməʉtə/, [ˈməʉɾə], /ˈmɐʉtə/, [ˈmɐʉɾə]
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐʉtə/, [ˈmɐʉɾə]
• Hyphenation: mo‧tor
• Rhymes: -əʊtə(ɹ)

Noun

motor (plural motors)

1. A machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion.
2. (now colloquial outside attributive use) A motor car, or automobile, sometimes extended to other powered vehicles, such as goods vehicles.
3. (figuratively) A source of power for something; an inspiration; a driving force.
4. Any protein capable of converting chemical energy into mechanical work.
5. (Christianity, archaic, poetic) The controller or prime mover of the universe; God.
6. (prison slang) The fermenting mass of fruit that is the basis of pruno, or "prison wine".

   Synonym: kicker

Alternative forms

• motour (obsolete)

Synonyms

• engine

Derived terms

Related terms

• motoric

Descendants

• → Persian: موتر (môtar)
• → Japanese: モーター (mōtā)
• → Korean: 모터 (moteo)
• → Burmese: မော်တော် (mautau)
• → Hausa: mōtā̀
• → Isoko: omoto
• → Nupe: mátò
• → Yoruba: mọ́tò
• → Shanghainese: 馬達 / 马达 (mo⁶-da⁶)
  • → Chinese: 馬達 / 马达 (mǎ dá)
• → Tibetan: མོ་ཊ (mo ṭa)

Translations

Adjective

motor (not comparable)

1. (biology) Relating to the ability to move.

2. (nautical) Propelled by an internal combustion engine (as opposed to a steam engine or turbine).

Derived terms

• motor unit
• psychomotor
• sensorimotor
• supramotor

Translations

Verb

motor (third-person singular simple present motors, present participle motoring, simple past and past participle motored)

1. (dated) To make a journey by motor vehicle; to drive.

   Synonym: moto
2. (transitive, aviation) To rotate a jet engine or turboprop using the engine's starter, without introducing fuel into the engine.

3. (informal, figurative) To progress at a brisk pace.
4. (slang) To leave.

Translations

References

• Motor Neurons at Motor Units on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “motor”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “motor”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• morto

Afrikaans

Etymology

Borrowed from English motor, compare motor car, from Latin mōtor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmʊə̯.tər/

Noun

motor (plural motors, diminutive motortjie)

1. car, automobile

   Synonym: kar

2. engine, motor

Derived terms

• motorfiets
• vragmotor
• veteraanmotor

References

Asturian

Noun

motor m (plural motores)

1. engine, motor (mechanical device)

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mōtōrem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [muˈtor]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [moˈtor]
• Rhymes: -oɾ

Adjective

motor (feminine motora, masculine plural motors, feminine plural motores) or motor (feminine motriu, masculine plural motors, feminine plural motrius)

1. motor

Noun

motor m (plural motors)

1. motor

Derived terms

• locomotor
• motorista

Further reading

• “motor”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], 2007 April
• “motor”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “motor” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “motor” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Cebuano

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moˈtoɾ/ [moˈt̪oɾ̪]
• Hyphenation: mo‧tor

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish motor.

Noun

motór

1. motor; engine

Etymology 2

Noun

motór

1. clipping of motorsiklo

Crimean Tatar

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: mo‧tor

Noun

motor

1. engine, motor

Declension

Derived terms

References

• “motor”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmotor]
• Rhymes: -otor

Noun

motor m inan

1. engine, motor

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

• See motiv

Further reading

• “motor”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “motor”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moːtɔr/, [ˈmoːtˢɒ]

Noun

motor c (singular definite motoren, plural indefinite motorer)

1. motor, engine

Inflection

Derived terms

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English motor, from Latin motor. In the sense “motorbike” motor was originally short for motorrijwiel or motorfiets.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmoːtɔr/, /ˈmoːtər/
• Rhymes: -oːtɔr, -oːtər
• Hyphenation: mo‧tor

Noun

motor m (plural motoren or motors, diminutive motortje n)

1. engine (mechanical device)
2. motorbike

   Synonyms: motorfiets, motorrijwiel

Derived terms

Related terms

• motoriek
• motoriseren

Descendants

• → Aukan: muntolu
• → Caribbean Hindustani: motar
• → Caribbean Javanese: montor
• → Indonesian: motor
• → Trió: monturu

Hungarian

Etymology

From English motor or German Motor, from Latin mōtor, mōtō (“I set in motion”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmotor]
• Hyphenation: mo‧tor
• Rhymes: -or

Noun

motor (plural motorok)

1. engine, motor (a machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion; the part of a car or other vehicle which provides the force for motion)
2. (figurative) powerhouse (any source of power, energy or strength)
3. motorbike, motorcycle (an open-seated motor vehicle with handlebars instead of a steering wheel, and having two (or sometimes three) wheels)

   Synonyms: motorbicikli, motorkerékpár

Declension

Derived terms

References

Further reading

• motor in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch motor, from English motor, from Latin motor. In the sense “motorbike” or "motorcycle", motor was originally short for motorrijwiel or motorfiets.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmotɔr]
• Hyphenation: mo‧tor

Noun

motor (plural motor-motor)

1. engine

   Synonyms: enjin, mesin

2. (informal) motorcycle

   Synonyms: honda, sepeda motor

3. (figuratively) important person in organization

Derived terms

Further reading

• “motor” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Interlingua

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moˈtor/

Noun

motor (plural motores)

1. motor

Latin

Etymology

From moveō (“I move”) +‎ -tor (“-er”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈmoː.tɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈmɔː.t̪or]

Noun

mōtor m (genitive mōtōris); third declension

1. mover; that which moves something

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Descendants

• → English: motor
• → German: Motor

Verb

mōtor

1. first-person singular present passive indicative of mōtō

References

• “motor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• motor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

motor m (definite singular motoren, indefinite plural motorer, definite plural motorene)

1. engine, motor

Derived terms

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mutur/
• IPA^(key): /mutːur/ (dialectal)

Noun

motor m (definite singular motoren, indefinite plural motorar, definite plural motorane)

1. engine, motor

Derived terms

Polish

Alternative forms

• motór

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin mōtor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɔ.tɔr/
• Rhymes: -ɔtɔr
• Syllabification: mo‧tor

Noun

motor m inan (diminutive motorek)

1. (colloquial) motorcycle

   Synonyms: (archaic) autocykl, motocykl

2. engine

   Synonym: silnik

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• motor in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• motor in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from French moteur, from Latin mōtōrem.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -oʁ, -oɾ
• Hyphenation: mo‧tor

Adjective

motor (feminine motora, masculine plural motores, feminine plural motoras)

1. motive

Noun

motor m (plural motores)

1. motor
2. engine

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French moteur.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moˈtor/
• Rhymes: -or
• Hyphenation: mo‧tor

Noun

motor n (plural motoare)

1. engine
2. (colloquial) motorcycle

Declension

Related terms

References

• “motor”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2025

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Latin motor.

Noun

mòtōr m (Cyrillic spelling мо̀то̄р)

1. engine, motor
2. (colloquial) motorcycle

Declension

Derived terms

• mòtōrnī

Slovene

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /móːtɔr/

Noun

mọ̑tor m inan

1. engine

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin motor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moˈtoɾ/ [moˈt̪oɾ]
• Rhymes: -oɾ
• Syllabification: mo‧tor

Adjective

motor (feminine motora, masculine plural motores, feminine plural motoras)

1. moving

Derived terms

Noun

motor m (plural motores)

1. motor (mechanical device)
2. (mechanics) engine
3. (figuratively) driving force, driver, mover
4. (figuratively) powerhouse
5. (computing) backend, back end

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Ye'kwana: motode

Further reading

• “motor”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swedish

Pronunciation

Noun

motor c

1. engine, motor

Declension

Derived terms

References

• motor in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• motor in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• morot

Tagalog

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /moˈtoɾ/ [moˈt̪oɾ]
• Rhymes: -oɾ
• Syllabification: mo‧tor

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish motor.

Noun

motór (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜆᜓᜇ᜔)

1. motor; engine

   Synonym: makina

Related terms

Etymology 2

Noun

motór (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜆᜓᜇ᜔)

1. clipping of motorsiklo

Further reading

• “motor”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
• “motor”, in Pinoy Dictionary, 2010–2025

Turkish

Alternative forms

• motör (obsolete)

Etymology

From French moteur m, from Latin mōtor m (“mover”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moˈtoɾ/
• Hyphenation: mo‧tor

Noun

motor (definite accusative motoru, plural motorlar)

1. engine (mechanical device)
2. motorboat

   Synonym: motorbot

3. (colloquial) a motorcycle

Declension

Derived terms

• motorlu, motörlü (“motorized”)

Venetan

Etymology

Compare Italian motore

Noun

motor m (plural motori) or motor m (plural moturi)

1. motor, engine

West Makian

Etymology

Possibly a shortening of Dutch motorboot (“motorboat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmo.t̪or/

Noun

motor

1. motorboat

References

• Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours‎^[2], Pacific linguistics