noun
locomotive
loh-kuh-MOH-tihv
noun
1
The engine unit that pulls the carriages or wagons of a train.
"A steam locomotive hauled the vintage carriages along the coast."
"The locomotive was uncoupled and sent to the depot for servicing."
adj
1
Relating to movement, or to the power unit that drives a train.
"The disease affected the patient's locomotive ability."
How to Use Locomotive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe engine that pulls a train — or, as an adjective, anything to do with moving under one's own power.
Common pairings
steam locomotive
diesel locomotive
locomotive engine
Word Forms
more locomotive comparative, locomotives plural, most locomotive superlative
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A steam _____ hauled the vintage carriages along the coast.
Etymology
From French locomotif, built from Latin locō ("from a place") and a Latin-derived word for "moving." Originally a general adjective for anything self-propelling, it narrowed to mean the train engine specifically from around 1814.