locomotive

lo·co·mo·tive

of locomotion
moving or capable of moving from one place to another; not stationary
designating or of engines that move under their own power: locomotive design

Origin of locomotive

from loco- + Late Latin motivus, moving

an engine that can move about by its own power; esp., an electric, steam, or diesel engine on wheels, designed to push or pull a railroad train

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MLA Style

"locomotive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/locomotive>.

APA Style

locomotive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/locomotive

locomotive

noun

A self-propelled vehicle, usually electric, diesel, or steam-powered, for pulling or pushing freight or passenger cars on railroad tracks.
A driving or pulling force; an impetus: “The US could no longer serve as the locomotive for the world economy” ( George Soros )

adjective

a. Of, relating to, or involved in locomotion.
b. Serving to put into motion or propel forward: “It may be that the founding fathers overestimated the locomotive force of the collective and mutual self-interest” ( Ian Davidson )
Able to move independently from place to place.
Of or relating to a self-propelled locomotive.
Of or relating to travel.

Origin of locomotive

Latin locō from a place ablative of locus place Medieval Latin mōtīvus causing motion ; see motive.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"locomotive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/locomotive>.

APA Style

locomotive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/locomotive

Adjective

(comparative more locomotive, superlative most locomotive)

of or relating to locomotion
of or relating to the power unit of a train which does not carry passengers or freight itself

Origin

Pertaining to movement from French locomotif (feminine locomotive), from Latin loco from a place (ablativus of locus place) + Vulgar Latin motivus moving (see motive)

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.