Jump to content

motor

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Motor and motör

English

[edit]
An electric motor.

Etymology

[edit]

    From Middle English motour (controller, prime mover; God), from Latin mōtor (mover; that which moves something), from mōtō (to set in motion).

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor (plural motors)

    1. A machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion.
      Synonyms: drive, engine
    2. (now colloquial outside attributive use) A motor car, or automobile, sometimes extended to other powered vehicles, such as goods vehicles.
      Nice motor!
      Motor insurance is expensive for youngsters. (attributive use)
      • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “His Own People”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 6:
        It was flood-tide along Fifth Avenue; motor, brougham, and victoria swept by on the glittering current; pretty women glanced out from limousine and tonneau; young men of his own type, silk-hatted, frock-coated, the crooks of their walking sticks tucked up under their left arms, passed on the Park side.
      • 1918, Edith Wharton, chapter I, in The Marne, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, page 1:
        Every since the age of six Troy Belknap of New York had embarked for Europe every June on the fastest steamer of one of the most expensive lines. With his family he had descended at the dock from a large noiseless motor, had kissed his father good-bye, turned back to shake hands with the chauffeur (a particular friend), and trotted up the gang-plank behind his mother's maid, [...]
      • 1929, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, When the World Screamed[1]:
        'However, you go and try your luck and see how you like it.' With that he flung himself into his motor and was off.
      • 1936, F.J. Thwaites, chapter XXII, in The Redemption, Sydney: H. John Edwards, published 1940, page 214:
        The screeching of brakes, the monotonous blare of motor horns, the clip-clip of shoes on slippery pavements, the rustling of wet mackintoshes were all part of the great metropolis.
      • 1944 November and December, T. F. Cameron, “Motor and Cartage Working”, in Railway Magazine, page 338:
        Goods motors for which "A" licences are held are free to operate anywhere, to pick up the most remunerative traffic, and the points between which the best back loads are available.
    3. (figuratively) A source of power for something; an inspiration; a driving force.
    4. Any protein capable of converting chemical energy into mechanical work.
    5. (Christianity, archaic, poetic) The controller or prime mover of the universe; God.
    6. (prison slang) The fermenting mass of fruit that is the basis of pruno, or "prison wine".
      Synonym: kicker

    Alternative forms

    [edit]

    Synonyms

    [edit]

    Derived terms

    [edit]
    [edit]

    Descendants

    [edit]

    Translations

    [edit]

    Adjective

    [edit]

    motor (not comparable)

    1. (biology) Relating to the ability to move.
      She has excellent motor skills.
    2. (nautical) Propelled by an internal combustion engine (as opposed to a steam engine or turbine).
      • 1915 June, “Many Yachts to Go in Commission”, in The American Marine Engineer:
        A motor yacht for its size has about 30 per cent more accommodations than a steamer of the same size.

    Derived terms

    [edit]

    Translations

    [edit]

    Verb

    [edit]

    motor (third-person singular simple present motors, present participle motoring, simple past and past participle motored)

    1. (dated) To make a journey by motor vehicle; to drive.
      Synonym: moto
      On Saturday we motored down to Plymouth.
      • 1944 November and December, T. F. Cameron, “Motor and Cartage Working”, in Railway Magazine, pages 336–337:
        The practice used to be for such consignments to be loaded as tranships to the large centre, but this involved rather slow transits, and to a considerable extent these consignments are now motored to the large centre, and in the average case the transit is improved by a day.
      • 1946 April 22, Bobby Troup, “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66”, in New Juke Box Hits, performed by Chuck Berry, published March 1961, side 2, track 2:
        Well, if you ever plan to motor west / Jack, take my way, it's the highway that's the best / Get your kicks on Route 66
    2. (transitive, aviation) To rotate a jet engine or turboprop using the engine's starter, without introducing fuel into the engine.
      During startup, the engine should be motored for 20 to 30 seconds to allow the shafts to straighten out, as they may have become bowed under their own weight while the airplane was sitting on the ground.
    3. (informal, figurative) To progress at a brisk pace.
      Sales were slow at first, but now things are really motoring.
      • 2023 November 15, Ian Prosser talks to Stefanie Foster, “A healthy person is a more productive person”, in RAIL, number 996, page 34:
        More recently, ORR has been developing its knowledge and skills in cyber and digital security. Prosser says this is really "motoring".
    4. (slang) To leave.
      I gotta motor.

    Translations

    [edit]

    References

    [edit]

    Anagrams

    [edit]

    Afrikaans

    [edit]

    Etymology

    [edit]

    Borrowed from English motor, compare motor car, from Latin mōtor.[1]

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor (plural motors, diminutive motortjie)

    1. car, automobile
      Synonym: kar
    2. engine, motor

    Derived terms

    [edit]

    References

    [edit]
    1. ^ G.J. van Wyk, Etimologiewoordeboek van Afrikaans, 2003, Stellenbosch.

    Albanian

    [edit]

    Etymology

    [edit]

    Either from English motor or German Motor.

    Pronunciation

    [edit]
    • IPA(key): /moˈtoɾ/, [mɔˈtɔɾ]

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor m (plural motorë, definite motori, definite plural motorët)

    1. motor, engine
    2. (colloquial) motorcycle
      Synonym: motoçikletë
    3. (figurative) driving force

    Declension

    [edit]
    Declension of motor
    singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative motor motori motorë motorët
    accusative motorin
    dative motori motorit motorëve motorëve
    ablative motorësh

    Asturian

    [edit]

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor m (plural motores)

    1. engine, motor (mechanical device)

    Catalan

    [edit]

    Etymology

    [edit]

    Borrowed from Latin mōtōrem.

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Adjective

    [edit]

    motor (feminine motora, masculine plural motors, feminine plural motores) or motor (feminine motriu, masculine plural motors, feminine plural motrius)

    1. motor

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor m (plural motors)

    1. motor

    Derived terms

    [edit]

    Further reading

    [edit]

    Cebuano

    [edit]

    Pronunciation

    [edit]
    • IPA(key): /moˈtoɾ/ [moˈt̪oɾ̪]
    • Hyphenation: mo‧tor

    Etymology 1

    [edit]

    Borrowed from Spanish motor.

    Noun

    [edit]

    motór

    1. motor; engine

    Etymology 2

    [edit]

    Noun

    [edit]

    motór

    1. clipping of motorsiklo

    Chavacano

    [edit]

    Etymology

    [edit]

    Inherited from Spanish motor (motor).

    Pronunciation

    [edit]
    • IPA(key): /moˈtoɾ/, [moˈt̪oɾ]
    • Hyphenation: mo‧tor

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor

    1. motor; engine

    Crimean Tatar

    [edit]
    Other scripts
    Cyrillic мотор
    Roman

    Pronunciation

    [edit]
    • Hyphenation: mo‧tor

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor

    1. engine, motor

    Declension

    [edit]
    Declension of motor
    singular plural
    nominative motor motorlar
    genitive motornıñ motorlarnıñ
    dative motorğa motorlarğa
    accusative motornı motorlarnı
    locative motorda motorlarda
    ablative motordan motorlardan

    Derived terms

    [edit]

    References

    [edit]

    Czech

    [edit]

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor m inan

    1. engine, motor

    Declension

    [edit]

    Derived terms

    [edit]
    [edit]

    Further reading

    [edit]

    Danish

    [edit]
    Danish Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia da

    Pronunciation

    [edit]
    • IPA(key): /moːtɔr/, [ˈmoːtˢɒ]

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor c (singular definite motoren, plural indefinite motorer)

    1. motor, engine

    Inflection

    [edit]
    Declension of motor
    common
    gender
    singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative motor motoren motorer motorerne
    genitive motors motorens motorers motorernes

    Derived terms

    [edit]

    Dutch

    [edit]

    Etymology

    [edit]

    Borrowed from English motor, from Latin motor. In the sense “motorbike” motor was originally short for motorrijwiel or motorfiets.

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor m (plural motoren or motors, diminutive motortje n)

    1. engine (mechanical device)
    2. motorbike
      Synonyms: motorfiets, motorrijwiel

    Derived terms

    [edit]
    [edit]

    Descendants

    [edit]

    Hungarian

    [edit]

    Etymology

    [edit]

    From English motor or German Motor, from Latin mōtor, mōtō (to set in motion).[1]

    Pronunciation

    [edit]
    • IPA(key): [ˈmotor]
    • Audio:(file)
    • Hyphenation: mo‧tor
    • Rhymes: -or

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor (plural motorok)

    1. engine, motor (a machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion; the part of a car or other vehicle which provides the force for motion)
    2. (figurative) powerhouse (any source of power, energy or strength)
    3. motorbike, motorcycle (an open-seated motor vehicle with handlebars instead of a steering wheel, and having two (or sometimes three) wheels)
      Synonyms: motorbicikli, motorkerékpár

    Declension

    [edit]
    Possessive forms of motor
    possessor single possession multiple possessions
    1st person sing. motorom motorjaim
    2nd person sing. motorod motorjaid
    3rd person sing. motorja motorjai
    1st person plural motorunk motorjaink
    2nd person plural motorotok motorjaitok
    3rd person plural motorjuk motorjaik

    Derived terms

    [edit]

    References

    [edit]
    1. ^ István Tótfalusi (2005), Idegenszó-tár: Idegen szavak értelmező és etimológiai szótára [A Storehouse of Foreign Words: An Explanatory and Etymological Dictionary of Foreign Words], Budapest: Tinta, →ISBN

    Further reading

    [edit]
    • motor in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

    Indonesian

    [edit]
    Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia id

    Etymology

    [edit]

    Borrowed from Dutch motor, from English motor, from Latin motor. In the sense “motorbike” or "motorcycle", motor was originally short for motorrijwiel or motorfiets.

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor (plural motor-motor)

    1. engine
      Synonyms: enjin, mesin
    2. (informal) ellipsis of sepeda motor (motorcycle)
    3. (figuratively) important person in organization

    Derived terms

    [edit]

    Further reading

    [edit]

    Interlingua

    [edit]

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Noun

    [edit]

    motor (plural motores)

    1. motor

    Latin

    [edit]

    Etymology

    [edit]

      From moveō (to move) +‎ -tor (-er).

      Pronunciation

      [edit]

      Noun

      [edit]

      mōtor m (genitive mōtōris); third declension

      1. mover; that which moves something

      Declension

      [edit]

      Third-declension noun.

      Descendants

      [edit]

      Verb

      [edit]

      mōtor

      1. first-person singular present passive indicative of mōtō

      References

      [edit]
      • motor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
      • motor”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

      Norwegian Bokmål

      [edit]
      Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
      Wikipedia no

      Noun

      [edit]

      motor m (definite singular motoren, indefinite plural motorer, definite plural motorene)

      1. engine, motor

      Derived terms

      [edit]

      Norwegian Nynorsk

      [edit]
      Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
      Wikipedia nn

      Pronunciation

      [edit]

      Noun

      [edit]

      motor m (definite singular motoren, indefinite plural motorar, definite plural motorane)

      1. engine, motor

      Derived terms

      [edit]

      Polish

      [edit]
      Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
      Wikipedia pl

      Alternative forms

      [edit]

      Etymology

      [edit]

      Learned borrowing from Latin mōtor.

      Pronunciation

      [edit]

      Noun

      [edit]

      motor m inan (diminutive motorek)

      1. (colloquial) motorcycle
        Synonyms: (archaic) autocykl, motocykl
      2. engine
        Synonym: silnik

      Declension

      [edit]

      Derived terms

      [edit]
      adjective

      Further reading

      [edit]
      • motor”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
      • motor”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN[3] (in Polish)

      Portuguese

      [edit]

      Etymology

      [edit]

      Borrowed from French moteur, from Latin mōtōrem.

      Pronunciation

      [edit]
       
       

      Adjective

      [edit]

      motor (feminine motora, masculine plural motores, feminine plural motoras)

      1. motive

      Noun

      [edit]

      motor m (plural motores)

      1. motor
      2. engine

      Further reading

      [edit]

      Romanian

      [edit]

      Etymology

      [edit]

      Borrowed from French moteur.

      Pronunciation

      [edit]
      • IPA(key): /moˈtor/
      • Audio:(file)
      • Rhymes: -or
      • Hyphenation: mo‧tor

      Noun

      [edit]

      motor n (plural motoare)

      1. engine
      2. (colloquial) motorcycle

      Declension

      [edit]
      singular plural
      indefinite definite indefinite definite
      nominative-accusative motor motorul motoare motoarele
      genitive-dative motor motorului motoare motoarelor
      vocative motorule motoarelor
      [edit]

      References

      [edit]

      Serbo-Croatian

      [edit]

      Etymology

      [edit]

      From Latin motor.

      Noun

      [edit]

      mòtōr m inan (Cyrillic spelling мо̀то̄р)

      1. engine, motor
      2. (colloquial) motorcycle

      Declension

      [edit]
      Declension of motor
      singular plural
      nominative mòtōr motori
      genitive motóra motora
      dative motoru motorima
      accusative motor motore
      vocative motoru / motore motori
      locative motoru motorima
      instrumental motorom motorima

      Derived terms

      [edit]

      Slovene

      [edit]

      Pronunciation

      [edit]

      Noun

      [edit]

      mọ̑tor m inan

      1. engine

      Declension

      [edit]
      Unknown tone or non-tonal
      The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.
      Masculine inan., soft o-stem
      nom. sing. mótor
      gen. sing. mótorja
      singular dual plural
      nominative
      (imenovȃlnik)
      mótor mótorja mótorji
      genitive
      (rodȋlnik)
      mótorja mótorjev mótorjev
      dative
      (dajȃlnik)
      mótorju mótorjema mótorjem
      accusative
      (tožȋlnik)
      mótor mótorja mótorje
      locative
      (mẹ̑stnik)
      mótorju mótorjih mótorjih
      instrumental
      (orọ̑dnik)
      mótorjem mótorjema mótorji

      Spanish

      [edit]

      Etymology

      [edit]

      From Latin motor.

      Pronunciation

      [edit]

      Adjective

      [edit]

      motor (feminine motora, masculine plural motores, feminine plural motoras)

      1. moving
        • 1915, Julio Vicuña Cifuentes, Mitos y Supersticiones Recogidos de la Tradición Oral Chilena, page 14:
          debilidad de los miembros motores
          (please add an English translation of this quotation)

      Derived terms

      [edit]

      Noun

      [edit]

      motor m (plural motores)

      1. motor (mechanical device)
      2. (mechanics) engine
      3. (figuratively) driving force, driver, mover
      4. (figuratively) powerhouse
      5. (computing) backend, back end

      Hyponyms

      [edit]

      Derived terms

      [edit]

      Descendants

      [edit]

      Further reading

      [edit]

      Swedish

      [edit]
      Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:
      Wikipedia sv

      Pronunciation

      [edit]

      Noun

      [edit]

      motor c

      1. engine, motor

      Declension

      [edit]

      Derived terms

      [edit]

      References

      [edit]

      Anagrams

      [edit]

      Tagalog

      [edit]

      Pronunciation

      [edit]

      Etymology 1

      [edit]

      Borrowed from Spanish motor.

      Noun

      [edit]

      motór (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜆᜓᜇ᜔)

      1. motor; engine
        Synonym: makina
      [edit]

      Etymology 2

      [edit]

      Noun

      [edit]

      motór (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜆᜓᜇ᜔)

      1. clipping of motorsiklo

      Further reading

      [edit]
      • motor”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
      • motor”, in Pinoy Dictionary, 2010–2026.

      Turkish

      [edit]

      Alternative forms

      [edit]

      Etymology

      [edit]

      From Ottoman Turkish موتور (motör), from French moteur m, from Latin mōtor m (mover).

      Pronunciation

      [edit]
      • IPA(key): /moˈtoɾ/
      • Audio:(file)
      • Hyphenation: mo‧tor

      Noun

      [edit]

      motor (definite accusative motoru, plural motorlar)

      1. engine (mechanical device)
      2. motorboat
        Synonym: motorbot
      3. (colloquial) a motorcycle

      Declension

      [edit]
      Declension of motor
      singular plural
      nominative motor motorlar
      definite accusative motoru motorları
      dative motora motorlara
      locative motorda motorlarda
      ablative motordan motorlardan
      genitive motorun motorların
      Possessive forms
      nominative
      singular plural
      1st singular motorum motorlarım
      2nd singular motorun motorların
      3rd singular motoru motorları
      1st plural motorumuz motorlarımız
      2nd plural motorunuz motorlarınız
      3rd plural motorları motorları
      definite accusative
      singular plural
      1st singular motorumu motorlarımı
      2nd singular motorunu motorlarını
      3rd singular motorunu motorlarını
      1st plural motorumuzu motorlarımızı
      2nd plural motorunuzu motorlarınızı
      3rd plural motorlarını motorlarını
      dative
      singular plural
      1st singular motoruma motorlarıma
      2nd singular motoruna motorlarına
      3rd singular motoruna motorlarına
      1st plural motorumuza motorlarımıza
      2nd plural motorunuza motorlarınıza
      3rd plural motorlarına motorlarına
      locative
      singular plural
      1st singular motorumda motorlarımda
      2nd singular motorunda motorlarında
      3rd singular motorunda motorlarında
      1st plural motorumuzda motorlarımızda
      2nd plural motorunuzda motorlarınızda
      3rd plural motorlarında motorlarında
      ablative
      singular plural
      1st singular motorumdan motorlarımdan
      2nd singular motorundan motorlarından
      3rd singular motorundan motorlarından
      1st plural motorumuzdan motorlarımızdan
      2nd plural motorunuzdan motorlarınızdan
      3rd plural motorlarından motorlarından
      genitive
      singular plural
      1st singular motorumun motorlarımın
      2nd singular motorunun motorlarının
      3rd singular motorunun motorlarının
      1st plural motorumuzun motorlarımızın
      2nd plural motorunuzun motorlarınızın
      3rd plural motorlarının motorlarının

      Derived terms

      [edit]

      Venetan

      [edit]

      Etymology

      [edit]

      Compare Italian motore

      Noun

      [edit]

      motor m (plural motori) or motor m (plural moturi)

      1. motor, engine

      West Makian

      [edit]

      Etymology

      [edit]

      Possibly a shortening of Dutch motorboot (motorboat).

      Pronunciation

      [edit]

      Noun

      [edit]

      motor

      1. motorboat

      References

      [edit]
      • Clemens Voorhoeve (1982), The Makian languages and their neighbours[4], Pacific linguistics