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Definition of "engine" []

  • A machine that converts energy into mechanical force or motion. (noun)
  • Such a machine distinguished from an electric, spring-driven, or hydraulic motor by its use of a fuel. (noun)
  • A mechanical appliance, instrument, or tool: engines of war. (noun)
  • An agent, instrument, or means of accomplishment. (noun)
  • A locomotive. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "engine" in a sentence
  • "An engine working on this principle has therefore been called a _high-pressure engine_."
  • "One of the most important changes in our engine revision strategy is moving to the Cloudmark antispam engine*, which provides 99%+ detection rate and less than 1 in 250,000 false positives (West Coast Labs)."
  • "Miraculously, the TAG engine kept running as he accelerated on to the finish straight to win the championship, the first time a driver had done so in successive years since Jack Brabham in 1959/60."