automobile
UK/'ɔːtəməbiːl/US/'ɒ:tәmәbi:l/
IELTSA2
Definitions
n.
A road vehicle powered by an engine; a car.
汽车。
adj.
Relating to cars or self-propelled vehicles.
汽车的；自动推进的。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedauto-self
+
mobilemove
=automobile
auto- ('self') + mobile ('movable') = 'a self-moving thing.' Coined when cars first appeared, the word captured what was astonishing: unlike a horse-drawn carriage, it moved itself. The same 'mobile' as in mobile phone is the heart of the word; auto- just adds 'on its own.' In everyday American English it has mostly given way to 'car' and 'auto.'
Common Collocations
- 1.automobile industry汽车工业
- 2.automobile manufacturer汽车制造商
Example Sentences
- 1.
The automobile transformed how people lived and traveled.
- 2.
Detroit was once the heart of the American automobile industry.