locomotive
n. countablen. the powerful engine at the front of a train that pulls the other cars along the tracks.
n. a self-propelled vehicle used for pulling or pushing freight or passenger cars on a railway. Often used as a metaphor in economics for a country or sector that drives the growth of a larger region.
The steam locomotive pulled the heavy train up the hill.
The old diesel locomotive was replaced by a modern electric model to reduce carbon emissions.
Economists often describe the manufacturing sector as the locomotive of the national economy, as its expansion creates a ripple effect that stimulates growth in logistics and services.
From French locomotif, from Latin locō (literally “from a place”) (ablative of locus (“place”)) + Vulgar Latin mōtivus (“moving”) (see motive). In the rail transport sense, ellipsis of locomotive (steam) engine, attested from 1814.
Commonly used in technical railway contexts or as a metaphor for economic leadership.