motor
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
mohterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈmoʊtɚ
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
Machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
“The small motor in the toy car made the wheels turn quickly.”
A nonspecific agent that imparts motion
“Happiness is the aim of all men and the motor of all action.”
now colloquial outside attributive use
A motor car, or automobile, sometimes extended to other powered vehicles, such as goods vehicles.
figuratively
A source of power for something; an inspiration; a driving force.
A Uralic Samoyedic language, extinct since the 1840s, formerly spoken in the northern region of the Sayan Mountains in Siberia, close to the Mongolian north border.
verb
informalfigurative
To progress at a brisk pace.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
Used this way, motor is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is an engineering use: it is a working term used for accuracy on the job.
“The small motor in the toy car made the wheels turn quickly.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Technical/specialist writing
- Science
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Natural pattern: motor in …
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.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The act of driving an automobile.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Someone who drives (or travels in) an automobile.
Equipped with a motor or motors.
Equipped with a motor or motors.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A neuron conducting impulses outwards from the brain or spinal cord.
Oil used to lubricate the moving parts of a motor.
A fleet of military vehicles controlled by a single agency and available for use as needed.
The cortical area that influences motor movements.
A wheeled vehicle with small wheels and a low-powered gasoline engine geared to the rear wheel.
A small fast unarmored and lightly armed torpedo boat.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A motor vehicle with two wheels and a strong frame.
A wheelchair propelled by a motor.
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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.