Engine

Engine (en"jin) , noun

[French engin skill, machine, engine, Latin ingenium natural capacity, invention; in in + the root of gignere to produce. See Genius, and compare Ingenious, Gin a snare.]

(Pronounced, in this sense, en*jēn".)

Natural capacity; ability; skill. [Obsolete]

A man hath sapiences three, Memory, engine, and intellect also. — Chaucer

Anything used to effect a purpose; any device or contrivance; a machine; an agent. — Shakespeare

You see the ways the fisherman doth take To catch the fish; what engines doth he make? — Bunyan

Their promises, enticements, oaths, tokens, and all these engines of lust. — Shakespeare

Any instrument by which any effect is produced; especially, an instrument or machine of war or torture.

Terrible engines of death. — Sir W. Raleigh

(Machinery) A compound machine by which any physical power is applied to produce a given physical effect.

Collocations (4)

Engine driver , one who manages an engine; specifically, the engineer of a locomotive.

Engine lathe (Machinery) , See under Lathe.

Engine tool , a machine tool. — J. Whitworth

Engine turning (Fine Arts) , a method of ornamentation by means of a rose engine.

The term engine is more commonly applied to massive machines, or to those giving power, or which produce some difficult result. Engines, as motors, are distinguished according to the source of power, as steam engine, air engine, electro-magnetic engine; or the purpose on account of which the power is applied, as fire engine, pumping engine, locomotive engine; or some peculiarity of construction or operation, as single-acting or double-acting engine, high-pressure or low-pressure engine, condensing engine, etc.

Engine , transitive verb

To assault with an engine. [Obsolete]

To engine and batter our walls. — T. Adams

To equip with an engine; -- said especially of steam vessels; as, vessels are often built by one firm and engined by another.

(Pronounced, in this sense, {not transcribed}.) To rack; to torture. [Obsolete] — Chaucer