locomotive
LOH-kuh-MOH-tiv
/ˌloʊkəˈmoʊtɪv/
A self-propelled railway vehicle used for pulling or pushing trains.
Refers specifically to the powered engine car, as opposed to the unpowered passenger or freight cars it hauls.
The story behind the word. Coined in the early 19th century as a shortened form of 'locomotive engine'. Early inventors needed a term to describe self-propelled mechanical engines that could move from 'place to place' (locus + motivus) on iron tracks, distinguishing them from stationary steam engines used in mines.
Word relationships
- engine: Engine is a broader term for any power unit, whereas locomotive strictly refers to rail traction vehicles.
Commonly confused with
- train: A train is the entire assembly of coupled vehicles, while a locomotive is solely the power vehicle.
Word family
- locomotion (noun): Movement or the ability to move from one place to another.
- locomotive (adjective): Relating to or causing movement from place to place.
Collocations
- diesel locomotive
- steam locomotive
- electric locomotive
- lead locomotive
Example sentences
- "The heavy diesel locomotive led a long line of hopper cars across the mountain pass." Industrial Logistics
- "A great black steam locomotive came roaring out of the mist, its headlight cutting through the dark." Historical Fiction
Memory hook
LOCO (crazy) MOTION (movement) on tracks—a powerful engine driving place to place. Locus (place) + Motion = moving from place to place.
When not to use
Do not use to refer to an entire passenger or freight train; it denotes only the powered engine unit.
Fun facts
- Early steam locomotives were nicknamed 'iron horses' because they replaced team draft animals.
Related words
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