marvel of engineering
1
5.6
- noun
- /ˈmɑrvəl əv ˌɛnʤɪˈnɪrɪŋ/
:
maravilla de la ingeniería
- He knew that he was strapped to a high-tech marvel of engineering that made him a global star.
Examples
-
The NASA Mars Rover Curiosity is a marvel of engineering and one of the great NASA success stories.
-
All in all, a marvel of engineering design, he thought.
Fiction book (1997) -
The NASA Mars Rover Curiosity is a marvel of engineering and one of the great NASA success stories.
Blog text (22) -
Hydroelectric dams are concrete marvels of engineering that generate clean energy for communities.
-
The monument itself is a marvel of engineering when you consider how enormous a load is being borne on such a slender, graceful arc.
Synonyms
122
4.1
Something that causes strong surprise or wonder
7
8.0
An impressive achievement that shows great skill
1
5.6
A building with an impressive design that many people admire
Made with very great skill and quality
Antonyms
How Impressive
Surface Forms
Morphology
marvel + of + engineering
The meaning 'an impressive achievement in engineering' is directly and compositionally derived from 'marvel' (something causing admiration) combined with the domain marker 'of engineering', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the phrase. The noun + of + noun pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English composition, making it readily comprehensible to B1 learners.
Etymology
Marvel of engineering comes from the image of people looking at a bridge or machine and calling it a marvel, a wonderful thing, because of the skill of its engineering. So, it now means 'an impressive engineering achievement'.