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motor

motor

69 6.0
A person, force, or thing that causes action
  • noun
  • /ˈmoʊtər/
translation icon : motor
  • The brain is the engine, Sarah, the motor that drives them.

And on some level, that's a motor that I can leverage to advance myself.

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Examples

  • Whatever damage was done by your stroke, it left your motor abilities relatively unimpaired.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • You can drive there in your very own motor home.

  • And so South Africa, you know, it's a big kind of motor of the African economy.

  • At over one hundred pops a minute, you lost your fine motor skills entirely.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • She managed to keep some of her motor functions and cognitive functions separate from the demon within her.

  • Motor function is clear.

  • Our motor's conked out.

  • Physical therapy helps them develop gross motor skills needed to roll over, sit up, and stand.

  • The scientist Stephen Hawking has lived with motor neurone disease for more than 40 years.

  • She's able to stand, she's got motor control, so she's able to write.

Synonyms

engine
vsmotor
129 3.5

A person or thing that causes something to happen

is more general, covering any driving cause of movement or change
propulsion
vsmotor
82 6.2

A force that pushes something forward, like an engine or wind

refers to any person or thing causing movement rather than the process
thrust
vsmotor
  • Specialized
56 5.1

The force that moves something forward, like the push from an engine

is broader, meaning any agent producing movement rather than one directional force
driving force
vsmotor
39 4.1

A force that makes something move forward

is broader and also means any cause of action or change
motive power
vsmotor
  • Specialized
1 5.5

Energy that makes a machine like a car or train move

focuses more on agents or causes beyond just mechanical energy
movant
vsmotor
  • Archaic
9.9

A person or thing that makes something start to go

is common modern term for any agent that causes movement or change

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 Influential

prime mover
  • Formal
1 9.9
catalyst
55 5.0
motor
69 6.0
influence
806 2.3
factor
2.1

Surface Forms

motor singular
motors plural

Etymology

Motor (noun, force) comes from movere 'to move' and is related to the word motive, meaning 'a driving force'. So when we call something the motor of change, we mean it is the thing that makes people or events move or happen.