automobile

See also: Automobile and auto-mobile

English

An automobile.

Etymology

From French automobile, from Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, self) + French mobile (moving), from Latin mobilis (movable).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈɔ.tə.mə.biːl/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈɔ.tə.moʊ.ˌbil/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: au‧to‧mo‧bile

Noun

automobile (plural automobiles)

  1. (US, Canada) A type of vehicle designed to move on the ground under its own stored power and intended to carry a driver, a small number of additional passengers, and a very limited amount of other load. A car or motorcar.
    • 2013 July-August, Philip J. Bushnell, “Solvents, Ethanol, Car Crashes & Tolerance”, in American Scientist:
      Surprisingly, this analysis revealed that acute exposure to solvent vapors at concentrations below those associated with long-term effects appears to increase the risk of a fatal automobile accident. Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, another solvent, which has the well-known property of causing this type of cancer.

Usage notes

  • The word automobile usually implies a car with seating for perhaps four or five passengers.
  • A vehicle with more than six or seven seats is usually described as a limousine, minivan, van, SUV, bus, etc.

Synonyms

Coordinate terms

Descendants

  • Alabama: mobìlika

Translations

Verb

automobile (third-person singular simple present automobiles, present participle automobiling, simple past and past participle automobiled)

  1. (intransitive, dated) To travel by automobile.

Adjective

automobile (not comparable)

  1. Self-moving; self-propelled.
    • Nikola Tesla
      As early as 1898 I proposed to representatives of a large manufacturing concern the construction and public exhibition of an automobile carriage which, left to itself, would perform a great variety of operations involving something akin to judgment.

French

Etymology

auto- + mobile, as the vehicle is powered by an engine rather than pulled by horses.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /o.tɔ.mɔ.bil/
  • (file)
  • Homophone: automobiles
  • Hyphenation: au‧to‧mo‧bile

Adjective

automobile (plural automobiles)

  1. automotive

Noun

automobile f (plural automobiles)

  1. automobile
    L’automobile est un moyen de déplacement pratique à la campagne, mais cher et polluant.
    The automobile is a practical means of travel in the countryside, but it's expensive and polluting.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

Further reading


Italian

Diversi tipi di automobile.

Etymology

auto- + mobile

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /au.to.ˈmɔ.bi.le/, [au̯.t̪o.ˈmɔː.bi.le]
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: au‧to‧mò‧bi‧le
  • Rhymes: -ɔbile

Noun

automobile f (plural automobili)

  1. automobile

Synonyms

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