multiengine plane
- noun
- /ˈmʌltiˌɛnʤɪn pleɪn/
- Specialized
:
avión multimotor
- When challenged by financial backers to consider a multiengine plane, Lindbergh responded, "I'm not sure three engines would really add much to safety on a flight like that (over water).
Examples
-
Passengers felt safer knowing they were flying on a multiengine plane with redundancy built into its design.
-
The company plans to purchase a new multiengine plane for cargo transport across the country.
-
The multiengine plane soared through the sky, smoothly handling the heavy load it was carrying.
Synonyms
A plane with two or more engines for more power and safety
A plane with two propellers that flies short distances
A small plane with two propellers and engines used for short flights
A plane with two jet engines used to carry people
Describes a plane that has three engines
Antonyms
How Many Engines
Surface Forms
Morphology
multiengine + plane
The meaning is transparently compositional: the prefix 'multi-' (many) combines with 'engine' to modify 'plane', so it literally denotes a plane with multiple engines. Even though 'multiengine' may not appear as a separate dictionary lemma, the prefix+noun formation is productive and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows 'multi/multiple', 'engine', and 'plane' can readily infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
The compound noun multiengine plane puts together multi ('many'), engine, and plane to give a clear picture of a plane with more than one engine. That's why it means 'an airplane that has two or more engines'.
