motor inn
1
3.4
- noun
- /ˈmoʊtər ɪn/
- US
:
motel
- We stayed at a cozy motor inn that had easy access to the parking area right outside our room.
Examples
-
Otherwise, call me down at the motor inn.
Fiction book (1993) -
Something-or-other motor inn.
-
There are many affordable motor inns along the highway for travelers to choose from.
-
After a long day of driving, we finally found a motor inn where we could rest for the night.
Synonyms
579
1.2
A small hotel by the road that has parking outside each room
10
4.8
A small hotel where rooms open onto a parking area
2
3.6
A small hotel by a road with parking spaces in front of rooms
1
3.4
A hotel for people traveling by car with rooms that open onto a parking lot
A small roadside hotel or group of cabins where you can park near your room
How Convenient
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a hotel for motorists' is directly and compositionally derived from 'motor' (vehicle-related) + 'inn' (a place to stay). This noun–noun compound follows a standard English pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Motor inn comes from the rise of travel by car: motor (meaning 'car') and inn ('small hotel'). These simple hotels were built by the road so drivers could park right outside their rooms, so the name now means a hotel made for motorists.