| airplane |
a machine that can fly because of the force of air upon its wings; plane. An airplane is driven by propellers or a jet engine. |
| airship |
an aircraft that is lighter than air and can be steered. An airship has an engine and is filled with gas. |
| backfire |
to give off a loud explosive noise that means the engine of a car or other vehicle is not working properly. [2/3 definitions] |
| bonnet |
the British word for the metal lid that covers a car's engine. "Bonnet" has the same meaning as "hood." [1/2 definitions] |
| canoe |
A canoe is a narrow boat that is pointed at both ends. A canoe doesn't have sails or an engine. You move a canoe through water by using something called a paddle. A paddle is a long piece of wood that is is wide and flat at one end. The canoe moves when you push the paddle through the water. [1/2 definitions] |
| car |
A car is a machine with an engine that people can ride in. A car usually has four wheels, but sometimes it has three. A car carries from one to about five people. Another word for car is automobile. [1/3 definitions] |
| carburetor |
the part of an engine that makes a mixture of air and gasoline that is burned by the engine when it runs. |
| carriage |
A carriage is something set on wheels that people can sit inside and use to travel from place to place. A carriage has no engine, and it has to be pulled or pushed to make it move. Before people used cars, they often rode in carriages pulled by horses. |
| chassis |
the frame that supports the body and engine in a vehicle. |
| choke |
a device that controls the amount of air in an engine carburetor. [1/4 definitions] |
| clutch1 |
a device for working the gears of an engine, as in a car. [1/4 definitions] |
| dashboard |
A dashboard is a part of a car or other vehicle. It contains gauges that give information to the driver, such as how fast the vehicle is going, how many miles or kilometers the vehicle has already traveled, whether the engine is running okay or not, and how much fuel the vehicle has. It also has controls for things like heat and air conditioning. |
| diesel engine |
a type of engine that burns fuel oil. Diesel engines are different from most car engines, which use an electric spark to ignite the fuel. In a diesel engine, the fuel is sprayed into a chamber and set on fire by the heat of air that has been put under high pressure. Big trucks have diesel engines. |
| engine |
An engine is a machine that uses energy to do work. Engines can make things move, such as the wheels of a car. [2 definitions] |
| engineer |
one who runs an engine or locomotive. [1/2 definitions] |
| exhaust |
the smoke or gas given off by an engine. [1/4 definitions] |
| fail |
When something like an engine or machine fails, it stops working. [1/7 definitions] |
| fire engine |
A fire engine is a large truck that carries firefighters and their tools to a fire. Fire engines usually have a ladder and a pump for spraying water or chemicals used to put out fires. |
| fire truck |
a large truck that firefighters ride in to go to a fire and that carries the things firefighters need to put out fires; fire engine. |
| gas |
Gas is a short word for gasoline. Gasoline is a liquid that people often use to make their cars go. A car's engine uses the gas to make energy. Gas is also used for trucks, boats, and other vehicles. [1/3 definitions] |
| gauge |
A gauge is a device that is used to measure something. A car has a number of different gauges that tell the driver things like whether the engine is too hot or if the tires don't have enough air. [1/2 definitions] |