Motorcar
/ˈmoʊ.tər.kɑːr/noun
A road vehicle powered by an engine.
Did you know?The first part, motor, comes from Latin mōtor, meaning “mover,” from the same root that gave English move and momentum, so the word is built on the ancient idea of motion as power.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
mōtor
“a mover; one who sets something in motion”
Late Latin
Latin
motor
“mover, driver, source of motion”
19th Century
English
motor
“a machine that produces motion or power”
19th Century
English
car
“a wheeled vehicle”
Late 19th Century
English
motorcar
“a self-propelled road vehicle”