Motorises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Fits a vehicle, device or machine with a motor so that it can move on its own power ; converts a process or operation from manual labour to machine-driven operation
2. Provides an engine or motor to a machine or vehicle so it runs without human effort ; replaces hand work with mechanical power in some task or system
3. Outfits something with a motor to give it self-propelled movement ; makes an activity or industry depend on mechanical rather than human power

Etymology: "Motorises" is the third-person singular present form of "motorise", the British spelling of "motorize". The verb is built from "motor" plus the suffix "-ise", which turns a noun into a verb meaning to provide something with that noun's device or power. To motorise a thing is to equip it with a motor, so a farmer who motorises a plough replaces the animal pulling it with an engine. The base noun "motor" comes from Latin "motor", meaning "mover" or "one who moves", from the verb "movere", "to move". English first used "motor" for something that imparts motion, and only later for the engine itself, which is why the verb sounds like a modern technical coinage.

Synonyms: motorizes, mechanize, power, automate, equip