engin

Noun

engine (plural engines)

1. A large construction used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult etc.
   • Their warlike Engins and munition
     Exceed the forces of their martial men.c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
2. (archaic) A tool; a utensil or implement.
   • Flattery must be the most powerful Argument that cou'd be used to Human Creatures. Making use of this bewitching Engine, they extoll'd the Excellency of our Nature above other Animals [...].1714, Bernard Mandeville, The Fable of the Bees
3. A complex mechanical device which converts energy into useful motion or physical effects.

   Synonyms:

   drive, motor

4. A person or group of people which influence a larger group; a driving force.
   • In France, the parliament soon became a mere engine in the hands of a few high-born and ambitious men, who had nothing in common with its interests, which were those of the people.1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 75
5. The part of a car or other vehicle which provides the force for motion, now especially one powered by internal combustion.
6. A self-powered vehicle used for moving cars along a track.

See all 15 meanings of engine