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to motor

to motor

7 4.0
To travel by car for pleasure
  • verb
  • /ˈmoʊtər/
translation icon : viajar en automóvil
  • They love to motor through the countryside in their convertible car.
  • motor along
  • let's motor
  • motor away

And I just took a deep breath and motored in barely.

Examples

  • Sir, shouldn't we motor out past the reef first?

  • Her friends, if they drove anything at all, drove pickups instead of cars, and on Friday afternoons they'd motor out to the ocean, pitching and hurtling over the dunes and then speeding down the beach, big V-8s wide open.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • I'm really trying to motor, here, you know?

  • M grab your boy and let's motor

  • So I'm gonna motor in, same as the other boats did.

  • Then we'll motor down the river for a few miles at the end of the day and nobody'll know the difference.

  • Bob keeps shouting as he motors closer.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • We motor serenely, surreally, down the river, with no sign of human life on the banks.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • As we motor downriver, black shale cliffs reach skyward.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Well, it hurts when I breathe, but, I mean, you know, you hear the roar ofthe crowd, you just— you motor through, you know?

Synonyms

to drive
vsto motor
1.0

To operate a car or give someone a ride

is travel in a vehicle mainly for pleasure rather than necessity
to tool
vsto motor
  • Informal
3 8.4

To drive a car or other vehicle slowly without a plan

is travel in a vehicle mainly for pleasure rather than necessity
to motorcycle
vsto motor
1 3.8

To ride a motorcycle for travel or fun

is travel in a vehicle mainly for pleasure rather than necessity
to automobiling
vsto motor
  • Archaic
5.1

To drive a car for pleasure

is travel in a vehicle mainly for pleasure rather than necessity

Antonyms

758 1.0

An act of moving on foot for exercise, pleasure, or travel

to stay put
  • Informal
133 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

Compounds

27 1.5

A machine like a car or bus that moves on roads and has an engine

14 3.4

A large vehicle with a kitchen, bathroom, and beds for living while traveling

11 3.3

Liquid you put in a car engine to make the moving parts work smoothly

A machine that uses electricity to make parts move

motor pool
  • Jargon
8 5.8

A group of vehicles kept by one organization for use when needed

outboard motor
  • Specialized
4 3.9

An engine attached to the back of a small boat that moves and steers it

motor control
  • Specialized
3 4.1

How the brain and nerves make muscles move together

motor cortex
  • Specialized
3 5.5

The part of the brain that plans and controls movements you make on purpose

2 3.6

A small hotel by a road with parking spaces in front of rooms

motor neuron
  • Specialized
2 3.9

A nerve cell that sends signals from the brain or spinal cord to a muscle to make it move

A small motorcycle with a flat area to rest your feet and a small engine

1 3.7

A nickname for Detroit, Michigan, known for its car industry

DC motor
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A machine that uses electricity from a battery to make parts turn

diesel motor
  • Specialized
1 3.5

An engine that runs on diesel fuel, used in trucks and ships

motor area
  • Specialized
1 5.1

A part of the brain that controls movements you make on purpose

1 3.4

A hotel for people traveling by car with rooms that open onto a parking lot

1 3.4

A hotel with parking next to each room for drivers

motor nerve
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A body part that sends messages from the brain and spine to make muscles move or glands work

1 3.5

A large private boat with engines used for pleasure cruising

synchronous motor
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A motor that turns at a speed set by the electricity frequency

starter motor
  • Specialized
1 4.0

An electric motor that turns a car engine to start it

drag-cup motor
  • Specialized
7.8

An electric machine with a cup-shaped metal part that turns around a fixed magnet inside

asynchronous motor
  • Specialized
5.5

A motor that runs on alternating current and turns by a changing magnetic field

motor aphasia
  • Specialized
8.5

A problem where a person cannot easily say or write words but can understand others

A part on a vehicle that makes a loud sound to warn people

motor memory
  • Specialized
4.2

A skill that lets you do movements learned by practice without thinking

A machine with a small engine that cuts grass

motor ataxia
  • Specialized
8.5

Loss of control of muscle movements makes walking unsteady and staggering

motor control
  • Specialized
3.9

The electronics and software that make motors move accurately

motor end plate
  • Specialized
7.5

The place where a nerve connects to a muscle to make it move

motor fiber
  • Specialized
5.1

A nerve that sends signals from the brain or spinal cord to muscles to make them move

motor nerve fiber
  • Specialized
4.9

A thin thread that carries messages from the brain to a muscle to make it move

motor region
  • Specialized
5.1

The part of the brain that controls body movement you choose to make

8.1

A small fast navy boat that carries torpedoes to attack ships

An inherited nerve disease that causes gradual weakness and loss of feeling in the hands and lower legs

hydraulic motor
  • Specialized
5.1

A machine that uses liquid pressure to make a shaft turn

induction motor
  • Specialized
4.6

A machine that uses changing electric current and magnets to turn and drive equipment

Nerves from the brain that control movements you make on purpose

shunt DC motor
  • Specialized
6.7

A motor that runs on direct current and keeps a steady speed when load changes

shunt wound DC motor
  • Specialized
7.5

A direct current motor whose parts are connected in parallel to keep a steady speed when the load changes

6.5

An engine that burns solid fuel to push a rocket or missile

squirrel-cage motor
  • Specialized
7.5

An electric motor with a round metal turning part shaped like a cage

starting motor
  • Specialized
3.7

A small electric motor in a car that turns the engine to start it

A small electric device that turns in exact small steps to move parts exactly, for example in 3D printers

A small electric machine that moves the blades that clean a car's front window

How Fast

to race
167 1.0
to speed
137 1.0
to motor
7 4.0
to cruise
108 3.2
to travel
1.0

Surface Forms

motor infinitive
motored past
motored past participle
motoring present participle
motors third person singular

Etymology

Motor (verb) comes from the noun motor (the engine) and the root movere 'to move', so to 'motor' is to move by a motor—much like to drive or travel in a motor vehicle.