- motor cars
- Automobile Au"to*mo*bile`, n. [F.]
a self-propelled vehicle used for transporting passengers,
suitable for use on a street or roadway. Many diferent models
of automobiles have beenbuilt and sold commercially,
possessing varied features such as a retractable roof (in a
{convertible}), different braking systems, different
propulsion systems, and varied styling. Most models have four
wheels but some have been built with three wheels.
Automobiles are usually propelled by internal combustion
engines (using volatile inflammable liquids, as gasoline or
petrol, alcohol, naphtha, etc.), and sometimes by steam
engines, or electric motors. The power of the driving motor
varies from under 50 H. P. for earlier models to over 200 H.
P. larger models or high-performance sports or racing cars.
An automobile is commonly called a {car} or an {auto}, and
generally in British usage, {motor cars}.
Syn: car, auto, machine, motorcar. [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
