locomotive
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
The power unit of a train that pulls the coaches or wagons.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
lohkuhmohtivSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
loʊkəˈmoʊtɪv
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
rail transport
The power unit of a train that pulls the coaches or wagons.
adjective
Of or relating to locomotion
Of or relating to the power unit of a train which does not carry passengers or freight itself.
Moving, or capable of motion.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (rail transport) The power unit of a train that pulls the coaches or wagons.
Used this way, locomotive is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This sense is about measurement, so it is used where accuracy is the point.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Technical/specialist writing
- Academic writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks.
The operator of a railway locomotive.
A locomotive driven by a hydraulic transmission system powered by a diesel engine.
A locomotive driven by a diesel engine.
A locomotive that is powered by an electric motor.
A wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: of or relating to locomotion
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.