locomotive engine
1
3.6
- noun
- /ˌloʊkəˈmoʊtɪv ˈɛnʤɪn/
- Mark Rosekind, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said a front-facing camera on the locomotive engine and dash cam video from a police cruiser revealed the new information.
Examples
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The locomotive engine powered the entire train as it traveled across the countryside.
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Analyses are normally performed on locomotive engines every 92 days, during regularly scheduled maintenance.
Academic text (2000) -
The Tedann Technology for on-board oil analysis on locomotive engines is an outgrowth of another R&D project at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Academic text (2000) -
In the main engine room, there are two immense (taller than me) Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines, which are actual locomotive engines.
Blog text (7) -
Among the damaged equipment: nine dual-powered locomotive engines and 84 multi-level rail cars purchased over the past six years at a cost of about $385 million.
Blog text (28) -
Separately, EMD is developing dual-fuel locomotive engines as part of a two-year program with the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) of San Antonio, Tex.
Academic text (1995) -
A skilled engineer maintained the locomotive engine to ensure it operated efficiently during the journey.
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After a thorough inspection, they confirmed that the locomotive engine was ready for the long haul.
Synonyms
33
4.6
A train engine that pulls rail cars
10
3.5
A vehicle that pulls train cars on railway tracks
4
3.2
A train engine that uses steam made by heating water to move
1
5.5
A train engine that uses electric motors powered by a diesel engine
1
4.1
A railway engine that runs on diesel fuel rather than steam or electricity
1
5.0
A steam train that carries its own fuel and water without another car behind it
1
3.9
A train engine that runs on electricity from overhead wires or a third rail
1
5.1
A train engine that uses a diesel engine to make electricity that runs its electric motors
1
4.4
A large machine on wheels that pulls a train on tracks
1
6.6
A small vehicle that moves train cars inside a rail yard
1
7.6
A train engine that goes ahead to check the track for obstacles
1
7.7
A train engine that uses a diesel engine and a hydraulic system to send power to the wheels
1
7.7
A train engine that uses a diesel motor and fluid pressure to drive the wheels
A steam engine that carries its own fuel and water so it needs no separate car
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituent nouns refer to the same domain (railway traction) and their combination simply specifies a rail vehicle that provides motive power; the overall meaning is directly predictable from knowing 'locomotive' and 'engine'. This noun–noun compositional pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will understand the MWE.
Etymology
Locomotive engine is named for what it does: locomotive comes from old words meaning 'move', and engine is a machine that gives 'power', so the name creates the image of a machine that moves or pulls a train. That's why it now means the vehicle that makes a train move.