automobile
See also: Automobile and auto-mobile
English
![](Images/wiktionary/Citroen_C3_silver.jpg.webp)
An automobile.
Etymology
From French automobile, from Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, “self”) + French mobile (“moving”), from Latin mōbilis (“movable”).
Pronunciation
- (UK, General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈɔː.tə.məˌbiːl/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈɔː.tə.məˌbil/, /ˌɔː.tə.məˈbil/, /ˌɔː.təˈmoʊ.bil/
Audio (US) (file) - Hyphenation: au‧to‧mo‧bile
Noun
automobile (plural automobiles)
- (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.
-
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
- (passenger vehicle): auto, car, (British) motor, (British) motorcar
- See also Thesaurus:automobile
Coordinate terms
- truck, van, bus, SUV, minivan, station wagon, sedan, coupe, convertible, sports car, racecar; wagon, cart, trailer, tractor; airplane, boat, ship
Derived terms
- automobile graveyard
- automobile racing
Related terms
- automatic
- automotive
Descendants
- → Alabama: mobìlika
- → Hawaiian: ʻokomopila
- → Unami: hatëmopil
Translations
passenger vehicle
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Verb
automobile (third-person singular simple present automobiles, present participle automobiling, simple past and past participle automobiled)
- (intransitive, dated) To travel by automobile.
- 1909, “"How Can He Do It?"”, in Notions and Fancy Goods, volume 43, page 30:
- The misguided youngsters are yachting, attending the races, playing the "stage Johnny," automobiling, playing poker for high stakes, overliving at home, on expensive shopping tours, attending box parties to the theatre, visiting high-priced restaurants, etc., etc.
-
Translations
to travel by automobile
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Adjective
automobile (not comparable)
- Self-moving; self-propelled.
- 1919, Nikola Tesla, My Inventions
- 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.
- Synonym: autokinetic
- 1919, Nikola Tesla, My Inventions
Translations
self-moving
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French
Etymology
auto- + mobile, as the vehicle is powered by an engine rather than pulled by horses.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /o.tɔ.mɔ.bil/, /ɔ.tɔ.mɔ.bil/
Audio (France, Paris) (file) - Homophone: automobiles
- Hyphenation: au‧to‧mo‧bile
Adjective
automobile (plural automobiles)
- automotive
Noun
automobile f (plural automobiles)
- 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
- (informal) auto
- (France, informal) bagnole
- (France, informal) caisse
- (Quebec, Louisiana) char
- (France, informal) tire
- voiture
Derived terms
- automobilisable
- automobilisme
- automobiliste
- canot automobile
Descendants
- → Dutch: automobiel
- → English: automobile
- → German: Automobil
- → Russian: автомоби́ль (avtomobílʹ)
- → Armenian: ավտոմոբիլ (avtomobil)
- → Azerbaijani: avtomobil
- → Georgian: ავტომობილი (avṭomobili)
- → Kazakh: автомобиль (avtomobil)
- → Kyrgyz: автомобиль (avtomobilʹ)
- → Turkmen: awtomobil
- → Uyghur: ئاپتوموبىل (aptomobil)
- → Uzbek: avtomobil
Further reading
- “automobile”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Italian
![](Images/wiktionary/Auto.gif)
Diversi tipi di automobile.
Etymology
From auto- + mobile.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /aw.toˈmɔ.bi.le/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɔbile
- Hyphenation: au‧to‧mò‧bi‧le
Noun
automobile f (plural automobili)
- automobile
- Synonyms: auto, macchina, vettura