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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

engine.

A large construction used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult etc.

6 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈɛnd͡ʒɪn/UK, US/ˈɪnd͡ʒɪn/pin-pen-merger/ˈɛnd͡ʒən//ˈend͡ʒɪn/Australia
  1. A large construction used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult etc.

  2. A tool; a utensil or implement.

    archaic
  3. A complex mechanical device which converts energy into useful motion or physical effects.

  4. A person or group of people which influence a larger group; a driving force.

  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.

  7. A self-powered vehicle used for moving cars along a track. A locomotive.

    usually
  8. A software or hardware system responsible for a specific technical task (usually with qualifying word).

    a graphics engine
    a physics engine
  9. Ingenuity; cunning, trickery, guile.

    obsolete
  10. The result of cunning; something ingenious, a contrivance; (in negative senses) a plot, a scheme.

    obsolete
  11. Natural talent; genius.

    obsolete
  12. Anything used to effect a purpose; any device or contrivance; an agent.

Where this word comes from

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.

verb/ˈɛnd͡ʒɪn/UK, US/ˈɪnd͡ʒɪn/pin-pen-merger/ˈɛnd͡ʒən//ˈend͡ʒɪn/Australia
  1. To equip with an engine; said especially of steam vessels.

    dated · transitive
    Vessels are often built by one firm and engined by another.
  2. To assault with an engine.

    obsolete · transitive
  3. To contrive; to put into action.

    obsolete · transitive
Where this word comes from

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.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.