drive line
- noun
- /ˈdraɪv laɪn/
- Specialized
- A malfunction in the drive line can cause significant performance issues in a vehicle.
Examples
-
He has experience in all-wheel-drive ground vehicle dynamics, performance optimization and control, and in research, design, and control of ground vehicle drive-line systems.
Academic text (2007) -
Vantsevich has been a full professor and head of the Research and Design Group on Multi-Wheel Drive Vehicles that designed a number of drive-line systems and mechanisms for various purpose vehicles in Belarus.
Academic text (2007) -
A drive line is already there.
Fiction book (1990) -
The coup de grâce came on Lap 224, when Johnson returned to pit road with the drive line problem.
Blog text (16) -
The drive line transfers power from the engine to the wheels of the car.
-
Mechanics needed to replace the worn-out drive line to ensure the car ran smoothly.
Synonyms
A system of gears in a vehicle that sends power from the engine to the wheels
A set of parts in a vehicle that sends power from the engine or motor to the wheels
The parts that send the engine's power to the wheels
A vehicle system that sends engine power to the driving wheels
How Complex
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines 'drive' (mechanical power/transmission) with 'line' (a connecting path or conduit), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes the component or pathway that carries driving power to the wheels. This is a compositional, technical term that aligns with equivalent constructions in other languages, making its basic meaning predictable for B1 learners.
Etymology
Drive line comes from the idea of a drive (engine power) moving along a line of connected parts to the wheels. Picture a line of parts passing power forward like people passing buckets — that's why drive line means the parts that 'send power' from the engine to the driving wheels.