engineer

Meaning

Noun

1. A soldier engaged in designing or constructing military works for attack or defence, or other engineering works.
2. (obsolete) A soldier in charge of operating a weapon; an artilleryman, a gunner.
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. 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. A person trained to operate an engine; an engineman.
6. A person trained to operate an engine; an engineman.
7. A person trained to operate an engine; an engineman.
8. Preceded by a qualifying word: a person who uses abilities or knowledge to manipulate events or people.
9. A person who formulates plots or schemes; a plotter, a schemer.

Verb

1. To employ one's abilities and knowledge as an engineer to design, construct, and/or maintain (something, such as a machine or a structure), usually for industrial or public use.
2. To use genetic engineering to alter or construct (a DNA sequence), or to alter (an organism).
3. To plan or achieve (a goal) by contrivance or guile; to finagle, to wangle.
4. To formulate plots or schemes; to plot, to scheme.
5. To work as an engineer.

Concepts

engineer

technician

mechanic

engine driver

contrive

plan

mechanician

technologist

railroad engineer

mastermind

applied scientist

locomotive engineer

machinist

devise

plot

scheme

accomplish

carry through

fulfil

implement

realize

pioneer

technical expert

sapper

direct

orchestrate

organise

organize

driver

design

lay out

project

schedule

abide

abide by

achieve

act out

conduct

effect

execute

exercise

keep

meet

observe

perform

produce

secure

cajole

coax

elbow

finagle

ingratiate

insinuate

manipulate

wangle

wheedle

crafts-person

artisan

craftsman

professional

engine-driver

build

construct

arrange

provoke

work

E

robot

cogitate

contemplate

draw

frame

map

pencil

plat

propose

sketch

engineering technical personnel

engineers and technicians

block out

blueprint

calculate

conceive

connive

intend

make up

map out

programme

think

actualise

actualize

carry out

effectuate

follow up

fulfill

pursue

throw

inventor

scientist

sculptor

brew

compass

mediate

mason

skilled workman

bring about

Hyphenated as

en‧gin‧eer

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌɛn(d)ʒɪˈnɪə/

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”)