They’re often used interchangeably, but in some contexts a motor runs on electricity and an engine runs on combustible fuel
This is how I was taught the ‘difference’. Electric Motor. Gasoline Engine.
Then how do you account for terms like “motorcar” “the motor trade” and so on?
As I said
but when a distinction is made, it’s usually based on whether they’re powered by electricity or fuel.
Engine predates fuel powered machines. ‘Engine’ is derived from ‘ingenious’ and was used in concepts like ‘siege engines’ and simply to ideas at times. The distinction between electric and fuel burning motors is recent and already disappearing.
I still see it quite frequently in the context of hybrid automobiles. Just from the first page of google hits:
Hybrid electric vehicles are powered by an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors
hybrids combine a gas engine, a battery, and an electric motor
Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors.
A hybrid automobile is one that uses both an internal-combustion engine and an electric motor for propulsion
In the case of hybrid-electric systems, the presence of the electric motor allows using the heat engine more efficiently
Nowadays engines are pretty much all fuel burning. Not necessarily just the piston engines in cars, but also jet engines, rocket engines, etc. Combustion is the magic differentiator.
Motors OTOH have other power sources: electric, hydraulic, compressed air, pressurized water, etc.
Terms like motorcar and “the motor trade” are anachronisms left over from the early days of automobiles. Plus the pretention factor: Rolls Royce makes “motorcars”. Yugo did not. Despite both having technologically equivalent power sources.
command: an order; to give orders
commander: one who commands
commandeer: to take over
commandant: an officer in charge of a particular force or institution.
commandment: a divine rule, especially one of the Ten Commandments.
commando: a soldier specially trained to carry out raids, or not wearing underwear
PS. speaking of engines, sometimes they are spoken of familiarly as gins, like the whim gin or the cotton gin. Not to be confused with the stuff that comes from Antwerp.
tout: to try to sell a thing, to promote; to watch, look upon
tote: to carry or bear
toot: to stand out or be prominent; to peep, look out; to make a sound like that of a horn, etc.
tote or toat is also a word for the handle of a carpenter’s plane.
Speaking of which,
plane: a tool for flattening wood; a flat geometrical surface; a flying vehicle; a type of tree
plain: an expanse of level ground; unembellished, not ornate; clear to the mind or senses
inoculate: immunize (someone) against a disease by introducing infective material, microorganisms, or vaccine into the body.
inculcate: instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction.
e.g.: “we inoculated our children against right-wing misinformation by inculcating habits of skeptical thought”.
orology: the study of mountains
horology: the study of time
urology: the study of disorders of the urinary tract and male reproductive organs
I confess I had never heard of this term, so I looked it up. It’s may be more accurate to say that it’s the study of timekeeping and the measurement of time. The word is considered a synonym of chronometry.
Not to be confused with… chronology!
Or chronography (“the description of past times”) or chronoscopy (“observation and estimation of time”), or chrononomy (“mode of reckoning and measuring time”, rare)
The difference between Austria and Australia is important, when buying an airplane ticket.
There are three San Jose’s with significant air service.