Motor or Engine

BKBrown

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• May 4, 2011 / Motor or Engine

• #1

Here it is:

It has been said that a MOTOR is electric powered and an ENGINE is internal combustion.

WHY do so many people call ENGINES MOTORS ??????

Why is it MOTOR Sports ????

Why is it a MOTORcycle with a Gas ENGINE ????


:wink: :confused2: :confused3: :anyone:

 

mystreba

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• May 4, 2011 / Motor or Engine

• #2

"Engines" are heat/combustion.

"Motors" are heat/combution OR electric.

I believe the proper term is "electric motor" to make the distinction.

 

BKBrown

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• May 4, 2011 / Motor or Engine

• #3

World Wide Words: Engine and Motor

One view point ! :thumbsup:

 

bakerg

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• May 4, 2011 / Motor or Engine

• #4

Motors or Engine, now a days both are too expensive to run.:laughing:

 

mystreba

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• May 4, 2011 / Motor or Engine

• #5

BKBrown said:

World Wide Words: Engine and Motor

One view point ! :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

They didn't really come down one way or another, but did raise some interesting points.

I think it's safe to say that, given the etymology and modern usage, "Engine" infers combustion only, while "Motor" infers either combustion engine or electric motor depending on context.

 

Two-Stroke

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• May 4, 2011 / Motor or Engine

• #6

BKBrown said:

World Wide Words: Engine and Motor

One view point ! :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

I've been interested in word origins for a long time so that website will make a welcome addition to my bookmarks. Thanks for the tip.

I like the way to two words had different origins but meandered across the same territory for decades so now they're more or less synonyms.

 

O

Oddball

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• May 5, 2011 / Motor or Engine

• #7

Its kinda like racist and bigot. Two separate meanings, yet through ignorant misuse racist is commonly used in place of bigot. Also, where does a Steam Engine fit into this? Its neither electric nor combustion.

 

Last edited: May 5, 2011

CajunCub

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• May 5, 2011 / Motor or Engine

• #8

In Europe they call tires & wheels "motors":laughing:, seen it on wheeler dealers.

It's a motor in a Model T and an engine in a Corvette.....Go Figure :confused2:

 

BKBrown

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• May 5, 2011 / Motor or Engine

• #9

Our Electronics professor was angry if anyone called an internal combustion engine a "motor" !

Oddball said:

Its kinda like racist and bigot. Two separate meanings, yet through ignorant misuse racist is commonly uesd in place of bigot. Also, where does a Steam Engine fit into this? Its neither electric or internal combustion. No, but it does burn fuel as the source of it's power and the expanding steam pushes a piston.

Click to expand...

 

jmurray01

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• May 5, 2011 / Motor or Engine

• #10

I call an internal combustion engine, an engine!

And electric motors, motors.

I do occasionally refer to an engine as a motor, but not a lot.