locomotive

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UK/ˌləʊkəˈməʊtɪv/US/ˌloʊkəˈmoʊtɪv/

noun

The power unit of a train that pulls the coaches or wagons.

Similar
enginelocorailway enginerailroad enginelocomotorlocomotive enginerailway locomotive
OriginFrench locomotif ← Latin locō ← Vulgar Latin mōtivus →
Less commonScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounlocomotive (plural locomotives)

plural locomotives

  1. rail transportThe power unit of a train that pulls the coaches or wagons.

    As on all other British Railways standard locomotives to date, the lubrication of motion pins and reversing gear is by grease nipple and gun.

    1953 February 28, “British Railways Standard Class "4" 2-6-0 Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 109

    Synonyms: engine, loco, railway engine, railroad engine

  2. rareA traction engine.
  3. slangA cheer characterized by a slow beginning and a progressive increase in speed.
  4. archaicAny of various early road vehicles, steam-powered, etc., forerunners of the modern car.
  5. economicsA country which drives the world economy by having a high level of imports, such as the United States.
adjectivelocomotive (comparative more locomotive, superlative most locomotive)

comparative more locomotive · superlative most locomotive

  1. Of or relating to locomotion.
  2. Of or relating to the power unit of a train which does not carry passengers or freight itself.
  3. Moving, or capable of motion.

    Pindar seems to imply that these figures were actually locomotive automata.

    1879, F. D. Morice, Pindar, chapter 8, page 133

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe power unit of a train that pulls the coaches or wagons.

Similar
enginelocorailway enginerailroad engine

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveof or relating to locomotion

Similar
locomotor

nouna wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks

Similar
enginelocomotive enginerailway locomotive
Broader
self-propelled vehicle
Also see
enginelocomotor

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Vulgar Latinmōtivus“moving”
  2. Latinlocō
  3. Frenchlocomotif
  4. Englishlocomotive

From French locomotif, from Latin locō (literally “from a place”) (ablative of locus (“place”)) + Vulgar Latin mōtivus (“moving”) (see motive). In the rail transport sense, ellipsis of locomotive (steam) engine, attested from 1814.

More words from French, Latin, Vulgar Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans lokomotief
  • lokomotiefself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Arabic قَاطِرَة
  • قَاطِرَة (qāṭira)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Bulgarian локомоти́в, движещ се
  • локомоти́в (lokomotív)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • движещ се (dvižešt se)relating to locomotion
Catalan locomotora, locomotor
  • locomotoraself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • locomotorrelating to locomotion
Chinese Mandarin 機車 /机车, 火車頭 /火车头
  • 機車 /机车 (jīchē)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • 火車頭 /火车头 (huǒchētóu)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • 機車頭 /机车头 (jīchētóu)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Czech lokomotiva, mašina
  • lokomotivaself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • mašinaself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Danish lokomotiv
  • lokomotivself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Dutch locomotief, lokomotief
  • locomotiefself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • lokomotiefself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Esperanto lokomotivo
  • lokomotivoself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Estonian vedur
  • vedurself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Finnish veturi, liikkumiskykyyn liittyvä
  • veturiself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • liikkumiskykyyn liittyvärelating to locomotion
French locomotive
  • locomotiveself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
German Lokomotive, lokomotorisch
  • Lokomotiveself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • lokomotorischrelating to locomotion
Greek ατμομηχανή, μηχανή
  • ατμομηχανή (atmomichaní)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • μηχανή (michaní)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • κινητήριος (kinitírios)relating to locomotion
Hebrew קַטָּר
  • קַטָּר (katár)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Hindi लोकोमोटिव
  • लोकोमोटिव (lokomoṭiv)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Hungarian mozdony
  • mozdonyself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Icelandic eimreið
  • eimreiðself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Indonesian lokomotif
  • lokomotifself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Italian locomotiva, motrice
  • locomotivaself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • motriceself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • locomotivorelating to locomotion
Japanese 汽車, 機関車
  • 汽車 (kisha)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • 機関車 (kikansha)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Korean 기관차
  • 기관차 (gigwancha)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Latin currus tractorius, machina vectoria
  • currus tractoriusself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • machina vectoriaself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Latvian lokomotīve
  • lokomotīveself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Lithuanian lokomotyvas
  • lokomotyvasself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Malay lokomotif
  • lokomotifself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Māori tima, tima rerewē
  • timaself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • tima rerewēself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Norwegian Bokmål lokomotiv
  • lokomotivself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Polish lokomotywa
  • lokomotywaself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Portuguese locomotiva, locomotor
  • locomotivaself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • locomotorrelating to locomotion
Romanian locomotivă, locomotor
  • locomotivăself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • locomotorrelating to locomotion
Russian локомоти́в, парово́з
  • локомоти́в (lokomotív)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • парово́з (parovóz)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • теплово́з (teplovóz)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • электрово́з (elektrovóz)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Slovak rušeň, lokomotíva
  • rušeňself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • lokomotívaself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Spanish locomotora, locomotor
  • locomotoraself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • locomotorrelating to locomotion
Swedish lok, lokomotiv
  • lokself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • lokomotivself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Tagalog lokomotora
  • lokomotoraself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Thai รถจักร, หัวรถจักร
  • รถจักร (rót-jàk)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • หัวรถจักรself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Turkish lokomotif
  • lokomotifself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Ukrainian локомоти́в, парово́з
  • локомоти́в (lokomotýv)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • парово́з (parovóz)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Vietnamese đầu máy
  • đầu máyself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Welsh locomotif, injan
  • locomotifself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
  • injanself-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Yiddish לאָקאָמאָטיוו
  • לאָקאָמאָטיוו (lokomotiv)self-propelled vehicle that runs on rails
Cite this entry
APA

locomotive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/locomotive

MLA

“locomotive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/locomotive. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “locomotive,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/locomotive.

Source: locomotive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.