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# motor

noun (a motor, motors); adjective (motor); verb (motor, motors, motored, motoring — old-fashioned)

«motor» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A machine that turns energy (usually electricity or fuel) into movement, like the motor in a fan, a toy car or a boat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#m1)
2. (UK, informal) A car. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#m2)
3. (adjective) To do with cars or vehicles: «motor racing». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#m3)
4. (adjective, science) To do with movement of the body: «motor skills». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#m4)

### In the lessons

In science and technology lessons: an electric motor is used in circuits to make something spin. In everyday life: motorbikes, motorboats, motorways. In PE: «fine motor skills» (small movements like writing) and «gross motor skills» (big movements like running). Phrases: «electric motor», «motor skills», «motor racing», «motor vehicle».

### Examples

- We added a small motor to make our model car move. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#x1)
- The motor in the fan is broken. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#x2)
- Racing drivers love motor racing. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#x3)
- Writing practice helps your fine motor skills. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#x4)
- The boat's motor started with a roar. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#x5)
- An electric motor uses electricity to make things spin. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#x6)
- Uncle Pete washed his motor on Sunday. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/#x7)

### Note

Countable. Compounds: motorbike, motorway (UK), motorboat, motorist. People often use «motor» and «engine» the same way; in science, an electric «motor» turns electricity into movement, and an «engine» usually burns fuel.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «motor» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/motor/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«motor» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/motor.html) on Mova free.