engineer

Where “engineer” sits in English frequency

Definition

1. 1
   A soldier engaged in designing or constructing military works for attack or defence, or other engineering works.
2. 2
   A soldier in charge of operating a weapon; an artilleryman, a gunner.
3. 3
   A person professionally engaged in the technical design and construction of large-scale private and public works such as bridges, buildings, harbours, railways, roads, etc.; a civil engineer.
4. 4
   Originally, a person engaged in designing, constructing, or maintaining engines or machinery; now (more generally), a person qualified or professionally engaged in any branch of engineering, or studying to do so.
5. 5
   A person trained to operate an engine.
6. 6
   A person trained to operate an engine.
7. 7
   A person trained to operate an engine.
8. 8
   Preceded by a qualifying word: a person who uses abilities or knowledge to manipulate events or people.
9. 9
   A person who formulates plots or schemes; a plotter, a schemer.
10. 10
    An honorific title given to engineers before their name.

Etymology

The noun is derived from: * Middle English enginour (“one who designs, constructs, or operates military works for attack or defence, etc.; machine designer”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman enginour, engigneour [and other forms], and Middle French and Old French engigneor, engigneour, engignier (“one who designs, constructs, or operates military works for attack or defence; architect; carpenter; craftsman; designer; planner; one who deceives or schemes”) (modern French ingénieur), from engin (“contraption, device; machine; invention; creativity, ingenuity; intelligence; deception, ruse, trickery”) + -eor, -or (suffix forming agent nouns); engin is derived from Latin ingenium (“innate or natural quality, nature; intelligence, natural capacity; ability, skill, talent; (Medieval Latin) engine; machine”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + gignere (the present active infinitive of gignō (“to bear, beget, give birth to; to cause, produce, yield”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to beget, give birth to; to produce”)) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns); and * from engine + -er (occupational suffix); and * from engine + -eer (suffix forming nouns denoting people associated with, concerned with, or engaged in specified activities), possibly modelled after Middle French ingénieur (a variant of Middle French, Old French engigneour; see above), and Italian ingegniere (“engineer”) (obsolete; modern Italian ingegnere). The verb is derived from the noun. Cognates * Medieval Latin, Late Latin ingeniārius (“engineer”) * Medieval Latin ingeniator (“one constructing or using an engine”) * Old Occitan engenhador, enginhador * Portuguese engenhador (obsolete), engenheiro (“engineer”) * Spanish engeñero (obsolete), ingeniero (“engineer”)

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: egnineer,enggineer,engiener,engineerr,enginer,enginere,enginneer,engnieer,enigneer,enngineer,negineer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of engineer - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Frequently Asked Questions