automobile
pronunciation
How to pronounce automobile in British English:
UK [ˈɔːtəməbiːl]
How to pronounce automobile in American English:
US [ˈɔːtəməbiːl]
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- Noun:
- 4-wheeled motor vehicle; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
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- Verb:
- travel in an automobile
Word Origin
- automobile (adj.)
- 1883, in reference to electric traction cars, from French automobile (adj.), 1861, a hybrid from Greek autos "self" (see auto-) + French mobile "moving," from Latin mobilis "movable" (see mobile (adj.)).
- automobile (n.)
- "self-propelled motor vehicle," 1895, from French automobile, short for véhicule automobile (see automobile (adj.)). The modern Greek calls it autokineto "moved of itself." The French word had competition in the early years from locomobile; in English other early forms were motorcar and autocar. An electrical car was an electromobile (1899).
Example
- 1. Twelve countries have acted to help their automobile industries .
- 2. But western car manufacturers are betting that things will change , as china 's budding love affair with the automobile matures .
- 3. The automobile segment will be slow .
- 4. International federation of automobile experts .
- 5. What size automobile do you want ?