Engine
-
A large construction used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult etc.
-
To equip with an engine; said especially of steam vessels.
-
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
-
something used to achieve a purpose
-
a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks
-
an instrument or machine that is used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult, artillery piece, etc.
-
Cunning, trickery.
-
A device to convert energy into useful mechanical motion, especially heat energy
-
A powered locomotive used for pulling cars on railways.
-
the brain or heart.
-
A software system, not a complete program, responsible for a technical task (as in layout engine, physics engine).
-
To assault with an engine.
-
(Pronounced, in this sense, ////.) Natural capacity; ability; skill
-
anything used to effect a purpose; any device or contrivance; an agent
-
en′jin, n. a complex and powerful machine, esp. a prime mover: a military machine: anything used to effect a purpose: a device: contrivance: (obs.) ability, genius.—v.t. to contrive: to put into action.—ns. En′gine-driv′er, one who manages an engine, esp. who drives a locomotive; Engineer′, an engine maker or manager: one who directs works and engines: a soldier belonging to the division of the army called Engineers, consisting of men trained to engineering work.—v.i. to act as an engineer.—v.t. to arrange, contrive.—ns. Engineer′ing, the art or profession of an engineer; En′gine-man, one who drives an engine; En′gine-room, the room in a vessel in which the engines are placed; En′ginery, the art or business of managing engines: engines collectively: machinery; En′gine-turn′ing, a kind of ornament made by a rose-engine, as on the backs of watches, c.—Civil engineer (see Civil). [O. Fr. engin—L. ingenium, skill. See Ingenious.]
-
- A piece of hardware that encapsulates some function but cant be
used without some kind of front end. Today we have,
especially, print engine: the guts of
a laser printer. 2. An analogous piece of software; notionally, one that does a lot
of noisy crunching, such as a database
engine.The hacker senses of engine are
actually close to its original, pre-Industrial-Revolution sense of a skill,
clever device, or instrument (the word is cognate to
‘ingenuity’). This sense had not been completely eclipsed by
the modern connotation of power-transducing machinery in Charles Babbages
time, which explains why he named the stored-program computer that he
designed in 1844 the Analytical
Engine.
- A piece of hardware that encapsulates some function but cant be
-
A type of machine created and designed in various colors, materials, mechanisms, shapes, sizes and styles.
Explore More Definitions
Browse our collection of 300,000+ community-written definitions