Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for locomotive

locomotive

[ loh-kuh-moh-tiv ]

noun

  1. a self-propelled, vehicular engine, powered by steam, a diesel, or electricity, for pulling or, sometimes, pushing a train or individual railroad cars.
  2. an organized group cheer, usually led by a cheerleader, as at a football or basketball game, that begins slowly and progressively increases in speed in such a way as to suggest a steam locomotive.
  3. Archaic. any self-propelled vehicle.


adjective

  1. of or relating to locomotives.
  2. of, relating to, or aiding in locomotion or movement from place to place:

    the locomotive powers of most animals.

  3. moving or traveling by means of its own mechanism or powers.
  4. serving to produce such movement; adapted for or used in locomotion:

    locomotive organs.

  5. having the power of locomotion:

    an animal that is locomotive at birth.

locomotive

/ ˌləʊkəˈməʊtɪv /

noun

    1. Also calledlocomotive engine a self-propelled engine driven by steam, electricity, or diesel power and used for drawing trains along railway tracks
    2. ( as modifier )

      a locomotive works

      a locomotive shed



adjective

  1. of or relating to locomotion
  2. moving or able to move, as by self-propulsion

Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˌlocoˈmotiveness, noun
  • ˌlocoˈmotively, adverb

Discover More

Other Words From

  • loco·motive·ly adverb
  • loco·motive·ness loco·mo·tivi·ty noun
  • unlo·co·motive adjective

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of locomotive1

1605–15; < Latin locō, ablative of locus place + motive (adj.); compare Medieval Latin in locō movērī to change position

Discover More

Example Sentences

The other locomotives, which looked like cubes, did not have such a shape.

Now, a fruitful combination of computational biomechanics and so-called “predictive simulation” are helping fill in these locomotive knowledge gaps.

I felt like a locomotive storming down the valley, fast because I was confident, confident because I was secure.

Because of restrictions on locomotives in the city, the cars at President Street had to be pulled by horses many blocks around the Inner Harbor to the Camden Street Station.

There they were attached to locomotives that took them south to Washington.

GE claims that retrofitting can “reduce locomotive fuel costs by up to 50 %.”

When it was first introduced some 170 years ago, the locomotive ran on a domestic fuel source.

His torso was nude and his legs had been amputated by the locomotive engine.

The big, filthy blue locomotive squeals and labors along the rails.

Another time, I was shooting a locomotive and it blew up, and some of the stuff got in my air scoop, but I managed to fly it back.

The steamboat of 1809 and the steam locomotive of 1830 were the direct result of what had gone before.

The south tunnel in New Street was blocked April 18, 1877, by a locomotive turning over.

Now for the second time the old man and the locomotive regarded each other.

In the innermost, Atock, our locomotive engineer, and I chummed together.

In others the arms may have been the chief locomotive organs and the feet have given steadiness.

Advertisement

Related Words

Word of the Day

tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


locomotionlocomotive engineer