Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun engine

4 senses of engine

Sense 1
engine -- (motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work)
       => motor -- (machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion)

Sense 2
engine -- (something used to achieve a purpose; "an engine of change")
       => causal agent, cause, causal agency -- (any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results)

Sense 3
locomotive, engine, locomotive engine, railway locomotive -- (a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks)
       => self-propelled vehicle -- (a wheeled vehicle that carries in itself a means of propulsion)

Sense 4
engine -- (an instrument or machine that is used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult, artillery piece, etc.; "medieval engines of war")
       => instrument -- (a device that requires skill for proper use)