Wordwyrt

engine

/ˈendʒən/EN-juhn
/ˈɛndʒən/EN-juhn

Meaningan inborn cleverness

Common meaning: a machine that converts energy into motion

Journey through time

  1. Latiningenium, -ī‘inborn talent’
  2. Old Frenchenginsource
  3. Middle Englishenginsource
  4. Englishengine‘a machine that converts energy into motion’ · today

engin also in: ingenious

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin ingenium ‘inborn talent; cleverness’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry ingenium, p. 950 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

ingenious

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