The story
French
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Today it means: A system of driving automobiles employing a gasoline engine and an auxiliary reversible dynamo. When there is an excess of power, the dynamo is driven by the engine so as to charge a small storage battery; when there is a deficiency of power, the dynamo reverses and acts as an auxiliary motor. Full definition →
French
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.