engine

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Computing

n. a computer program that handles a specific task, like searching the internet or running a game.

n. a core software component or hardware system responsible for a specific technical function.

“Most people use a search engine to find information on the web.”

“The new graphics engine allows the game to render realistic lighting and shadows in real time without slowing down the performance.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. the heavy vehicle at the front of a train that pulls the other cars.

n. a self-powered vehicle used for pulling or pushing freight or passenger cars along a railway track.

“The steam engine pulled the long train slowly out of the station.”

“The heavy freight engine struggled to maintain speed while ascending the steep mountain pass with fifty loaded wagons in tow.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal

n. a person or thing that provides the energy or power for a project to succeed.

n. a person, group, or entity that acts as a primary source of power, influence, or progress within a larger system.

“Small businesses are often the engine of the country's economy.”

“The research department has long been the engine of innovation for the company, producing dozens of patents every year.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Literary

n. a large machine used in old wars to throw stones or break down walls.

n. a large mechanical construction used in historical warfare, such as a catapult or battering ram.

“The army used a massive wooden engine to break through the castle gates.”

“The besieging forces constructed formidable engines of war, designed to hurl heavy projectiles over the high stone ramparts of the fortress.”