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An engine is something that produces some effect from a given input. The origin of engineering was the working of engines. There is an overlap in English between two meanings of the word "engineer": 'those who operate engines' and 'those who design and construct new items'.In original usage, an engine was any sort of mechanical device. The term "gin" in cotton gin is a short form of this usage. Practically every device from the industrial revolution was referred to as an engine, and this is where the steam engine gained its name. This form of the term has recently come into use again in computer science, where terms like search engine, "3-D graphics rendering engine" and " text-to-speech engine" are common.
In more recent usage, the term is typically used to describe devices that perform mechanical work, follow-ons to the original steam engine. In most cases the work is supplied by exerting a torque, which is used to operate other machinery, generate electricity, pump water or compress gas.
See also
- aircraft engine
- air engineThe air engine is an emission-free piston engine using compressed air as fuel that was invented by Guy Negre, a French engineer. It uses the expansion of compressed air to drive the pistons in a modified piston engine. Efficiency of operation is gained th
- diesel engineThe diesel engine is a type of internal combustion engine; more specifically, a compression ignition engine, in which the fuel is ignited by the high temperature of a compressed gas, rather than a separate source of energy (such as a spark plug). It was i
- electric motorAn electric motor converts electricity into mechanical motion. The reverse task, that of converting mechanical motion into electricity, is accomplished by a generator. The two devices are identical except for their application and minor construction detai
- gas turbineThis machine has a single-stage radial compressor and turbine, a recuperator, and foil bearings. A gas turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a flow of combustion gas. It has an upstream compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a comb
- gasoline engineGasoline (or petrol engine is a type of internal combustion engine which is often used for automobiles, small mobile vehicles such as lawnmowers or motorcycles and outboard motors for boats. The most common engine of this type is a four stroke cycle inter
- internal-combustion engine
- jet engineA jet engine is a type of air-breathing turbine engine, often used on aircraft. The principle of all jet engines is essentially the same. The engine draws air in at the front and compresses it. The air is combined with fuel, typically ignited by flame in
- orbital engineAn Orbital engine is a type of internal combustion engine, featuring rotary rather than reciprocating motion of its internal parts. It differs from the conceptually similar Wankel engine by using a shaped rotor that rolls around the interior of the engine
- outboard motor
- rocket
- steam engine
- Stirling engine
- timeline of motor and engine technology
- turbine
- Wankel engine
- water turbine
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