Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - SMART thesaurus

air-cooled adjective
If an engine is air-cooled, it is kept cool by a flow of air.
Compare water-cooled.

automate verb [T]

to make a process in a factory or office operate by machines or computers,
in order to reduce the amount of work done by humans and the time
taken to do the work:
Massive investment is needed to automate the production process.
automated adjective
a fully automated system
automation noun [U]
office/factory automation

automatic (INDEPENDENT) adjective

An automatic machine or device is able to operate independently of human
control:
automatic doors
an automatic rifle
automatic focus on a camera
automatically adverb
The camera adjusts the lens aperture and shutter speed automatically.

bionic adjective
1

using artificial materials and methods to produce especially a human

activity or movement:
a bionic arm/leg

chemical engineering noun [U]

the design and operation of machinery used in industrial chemical processes
crank (EQUIPMENT) noun [C]
a device which allows movement to go between parts of a machine or which
changes backward and forward movement into circular movement:
a crank handle
drive shaft noun [C]
(in a vehicle) a rod that spins round and takes the power from the engine to
the wheels

engage (FIT TOGETHER) verb [I or T]

to make one part of a machine fit into and move together with another part
of a machine:
When the large cog wheel engages (with the smaller one), the mill stone will
start to go round.
-engined suffix
twin-engined
jet-engined
engineering noun [U]
the work of an engineer, or the study of this work:
Richard studied engineering at Manchester University.

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - SMART thesaurus

fan belt noun [C]

a strip of material that moves round continuously to make a fan turn and
keep an engine cool

female (CONNECTING PART) adjective SPECIALIZED

describes a piece of equipment that has a hole or space into which another
part can be fitted:
a female plug/connector
Compare male (CONNECTING PART).

fitter noun [C]

1

someone whose job is to repair or put together equipment or machines:

an engine fitter
a gas fitter

gasman noun [C] UK INFORMAL

a man whose job is reading gas meters and repairing gas systems

grease monkey noun [C] MAINLY US OLD-FASHIONED SLANG

someone whose job is repairing car or aircraft engines

horsepower (plural horsepower) noun [C or U] ( ABBREVIATION hp)

a unit for measuring the power of an engine:
a 100-horsepower engine

hp (POWER)
WRITTEN ABBREVIATION FOR

horsepower

hydraulic adjective
operated by or involving the pressure of water or some other liquid:
a hydraulic lift/platform/pump
idle verb [I] ( UK ALSO tick over)
If an engine or machine idles, it runs slowly but does not move or do any
work:
He left the engine idling and ran into the shop.

internal combustion engine noun [C]

an engine which produces energy by burning fuel within itself
jet engine noun [C]
a very powerful engine. When fuel is burned inside the engine, hot air and
gases are produced and then pushed out of the back of the engine at
high speed and this forces the engine forward.

male (CONNECTING PART) adjective SPECIALIZED

describes a piece of equipment that has a part which sticks out and can be
fitted into a hollow part in another piece of equipment:
a male plug
Compare female (CONNECTING PART).

mechanic noun [C]

someone whose job is repairing the engines of vehicles and other machines:
a car/garage/motor mechanic
mechanical (MACHINES) adjective
describes machines or their parts:

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - SMART thesaurus

a mechanical device
The company produces mechanical parts for airplane engines.
The plane appeared to have crashed because of a mechanical problem.
mechanically adverb
Most crops are harvested mechanically (= by a machine).
I'm not very mechanically minded (= do not understand how machines work).

mechanical engineering noun [U]

the study of the design and production of machines

mechanics

(STUDY) noun [U]

the study of the effect of physical forces on objects and their movement

mechanize, UK USUALLY mechanise verb [T]

to use a machine to do something that used to be done by hand:
Farming has been mechanized, reducing the need for labour.
mechanization,
mechanized,

UK USUALLY

UK USUALLY

mechanisation noun [U]

mechanised adjective

neutral (VEHICLE) noun [U]

1

the position of the gears in a vehicle when they are not connected to the
engine:
In Britain, you're supposed to put your car into neutral whenever you stop
at a junction.

octane number noun [C] (ALSO octane rating)

a number showing the quality of petrol in representing how well and with
how much power it can make an engine work
-octane suffix
Racing cars use a high-octane (= powerful) fuel.
oil verb [T]
to put oil on something, especially a machine, usually to make it work more
easily without sticking

oilcan noun [C]

a container for oil, especially one with a long thin tube for putting oil on
machinery

outboard (motor) noun [C]

1

a motor with a propeller, designed to be fixed to the back of a small boat

override noun [C]

a device that changes the control of a machine or system in special
situations, especially from automatic to manual:
The heating system has a manual override.

pedal adjective [before noun]

operated by a pedal or pedals:
a pedal bike/boat/car
She emptied the ashtray into the pedal bin.

pneumatic adjective
1

operated by air pressure:

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - SMART thesaurus

Our car has pneumatic brakes.

pneumatic adjective
2

containing air:
Pneumatic tyres were invented in 1888 by John Dunlop.

pneumatically adverb

semi-automatic adjective
partly automatic:
a semi-automatic gearbox/shotgun

service (REPAIR) verb [T]

to examine a machine and repair any faulty parts:
I'm taking the car in to have it serviced this afternoon.
service noun [C] MAINLY UK
She took the car in for a service yesterday.

servomotor noun [C] (ALSO servo)

SPECIALIZED

a motor which provides the power for a servomechanism

souped-up adjective
a souped-up Mini

strip
1

(REMOVE PARTS) verb [T] -ppto remove parts of a machine, vehicle or engine in order to clean or repair
it:
I've decided to strip down my motorbike and rebuild it.

supercharge verb [T]

to make an engine more powerful by forcing in more air and fuel than usual

tappet noun [C]

a part of a machine which causes another part to move by hitting it

torque noun [U]

SPECIALIZED

a force which causes something to rotate (= turn in a circle)

tune

(ENGINE) verb [T]

to change the setting of particular parts of an engine, especially slightly, so
that it works as well as possible:
The engine certainly needs tuning but there's nothing wrong with the car.
Could you tune (up) the engine for me, please?

tune-up noun [C usually singular] (UK ALSO tune)

The engine needs a tune-up, and can you give the car a good service as well?

valve noun [C]

1

a device which opens and closes to control the flow of liquids or gases, or
a similar structure in the heart and the veins, which controls the flow of
blood:
The valve failed to open/close.
It was a weak heart valve that caused her death.

vane noun [C]

a flat narrow part of a fan, propeller, etc. which turns because of the

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - SMART thesaurus

pressure of air or liquid against it

wheelbase noun [C usually singular]

the distance between the front and the back wheels of a motor vehicle
go on (OPERATE) phrasal verb
to start operating:
The spotlights go on automatically when an intruder is detected in the garden.
When does the heating go on?
tick over (ENGINE) phrasal verb
If the engine of a vehicle is ticking over, the engine is operating slowly
although the vehicle is not moving:
I've left the car with the engine ticking over.

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