[DarkneSS]

Why do SOOO many people make this novel mistake? Why is motor oil called motor oil when its engine oil?

I must be loosin mah mind...

[Bodih]

Yes you are...

[Sir Nuke]

mostly because most people don't know the difference.....and use the two terms thinking they mean the same thing.

[Sir Nuke]

Its kind of like the commercial out now that has "motor heads" in it....when in fact they are engine heads.....but the common term used is motor head.

[1BADLS3]

To me, it's about as negligible as people who sometimes say "soda" instead of "pop". Either way, no care.

But then again, most people are content to call the Camaro a 'muscle car' when, by strict definition, it isn't.

So I guess if you ask "what kind of motor you got under the hood of that muscle car?" --you're pissing off the dictionary police to no end.

[sycraft]

tomato, tomoto.........

[Flashpoint135]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motor

"
Definition of MOTOR

1
: one that imparts motion; specifically : prime mover

2
: any of various power units that develop energy or impart motion: as
a : a small compact engine
b : internal combustion engine; especially : a gasoline engine
c : a rotating machine that transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy


................."

[hrpiii]

so that's not a motor in my motocycle. You know, the cycle with a motor in it, hence the term motorcycle?

[vroomapunk]

I thought it was something like, a motor gets its power from an external source.

Whereas an engine creates its own power?

I could be wrong

[1BADLS3]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint135

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motor

"
Definition of MOTOR

1
: one that imparts motion; specifically : prime mover

2
: any of various power units that develop energy or impart motion: as
a : a small compact engine
b : internal combustion engine; especially : a gasoline engine
c : a rotating machine that transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy


................."

That's it. I'm going to start asking "what is the displacement of your prime mover?"

[bumblebeecamaro]

samething between a tire and a rim (aka a wheel). can't tell you how many people I personally know that do not know the difference between the two. lol

[Eich]

Originally Posted by vroomapunk

I thought it was something like, a motor gets its power from an external source.

Whereas an engine creates its own power?

I could be wrong

Well - a gasoline engine/motor gets its power from fuel in the gas tank. And an electric motor gets its power from a battery or other electrical source.

The terms can be often interchanged. But "Engine" is typically referred to as something that turns thermal energy (burning fuel) into mechanical energy (pistons turning the crankshaft).

A motor is a more generic term. You can call a gasoline engine a motor. But you probably wouldn't call an electric motor an engine.

[awfarley]

Originally Posted by hrpiii

so that's not a motor in my motocycle. You know, the cycle with a motor in it, hence the term motorcycle?

lol "engine-cycle"

[SPARTAN sui]

Originally Posted by awfarley

lol "engine-cycle"

Exactly what I was thinking!

I think you're splitting hairs.

If you think that's bad, what bugs me is when people refer to their PC as their CPU, or worse, I've had a few people refer to their PC as the hard drive.