engine

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A machine that converts energy into mechanical force or motion.
2. n. Such a machine distinguished from an electric, spring-driven, or hydraulic motor by its use of a fuel.
3. n. A mechanical appliance, instrument, or tool: engines of war.
4. n. An agent, instrument, or means of accomplishment.
5. n. A locomotive.
6. n. A fire engine.
7. n. Computer Science A search engine.
8. v. To equip with an engine or engines.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Innate or natural ability; ingenuity; craft; skill.
2. n. An artful device or contrivance; a skilfully devised plan or method; a subtle artifice.
3. n. An instrumental agent or agency of any kind; anything used to effect a purpose; an instrumentality.
4. n. An apparatus for producing some mechanical effect; especially, a skilful mechanical contrivance: used in a very general way.
5. n. Specifically— A snare, gin, or trap.
6. n. A mechanism, instrument, weapon, or tool by which a violent effect is produced, as a musket, cannon, rack, catapult, battering-ram, etc.; specifically, in old use, a rack for torture; by extension, any tool or instrument: as, engines of war or of torture.
7. n. More particulary— A skilfully contrived mechanism or machine, the parts of which concur in producing an intended effect; a machine for applying any of the mechanical or physical powers to effect a particular purpose; especially, a self-contained, self-moving mechanism for the conversion of energy into useful work: as, a hydraulic engine for utilizing the pressure of water; a steam-, gas-, or air-engine, in which the elastic force of steam, gas, or air is utilized; a fire-engine; stationary or locomotive engines. In popular absolute use, the word generally has reference to a locomotive engine. See these words.
8. To contrive.
9. To assault with engines of war.
10. To torture by means of an engine; rack.
11. To furnish with an engine or engines: as, the vessel was built on the Clyde and engined at Greenwich.
12. n. A locomotive which has two or more pairs of driving-wheels coupled together by side or parallel rods.
13. n. A form of engine in which the crank is driven by the pressure on two rectangular pistons, the second of which traverses in a suitable recess in the first This double motion enables the pistons to follow the angular displacement of the crank without the use of connecting-rods, and gives a square section to the case inclosing the two pistons.

Wiktionary

1. n. obsolete Cunning, trickery.
2. n. obsolete The result of cunning; a plot, a scheme.
3. n. engineering A device to convert energy into useful mechanical motion, especially heat energy
4. n. A powered locomotive used for pulling cars on railways.
5. n. A person or group of people which influence a larger group.
6. n. informal the brain or heart.
7. n. computing A software system, not a complete program, responsible for a technical task (as in layout engine, physics engine).
8. v. obsolete To assault with an engine.
9. v. dated To equip with an engine; said especially of steam vessels.
10. v. obsolete To rack; to torture.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. obsolete Natural capacity; ability; skill.
2. n. Anything used to effect a purpose; any device or contrivance; a machine; an agent.
3. n. Any instrument by which any effect is produced; especially, an instrument or machine of war or torture.
4. n. (Mach.) A compound machine by which any physical power is applied to produce a given physical effect.
5. v. obsolete To assault with an engine.
6. v. To equip with an engine; -- said especially of steam vessels.
7. v. obsolete (Pronounced, in this sense, �����.) To rack; to torture.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. an instrument or machine that is used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult, artillery piece, etc.
2. n. motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
3. n. a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks
4. n. something used to achieve a purpose