This page gathers the 570 dictionary entries belonging to the domain “Vehicles”, as labelled by Wiktionary. Each word leads to its full entry: definitions, etymology, pronunciation, examples. Page 3 of 6: from “fire engine” to “lug”.
- fire engine noun A vehicle used by firefighters to pump water to fight a fire. Typically, a fire engine carries a supply of water and has the ability to…
- fit and finish noun The cosmetic quality of an automobile, in terms of the spacing and alignment of parts.
- flash for cash adj Pertaining to a scam where a motorist flashes their headlights to indicate to another driver to proceed against normal give-way rules, then…
- flasher noun An indicator or turn signal.
- flat noun A flat tyre/flat tire.
- flip a bitch verb To make a rapid and illegal U-turn.
- float noun A car carrier or car transporter truck or truck-and-trailer combination.
- floor it verb To depress the accelerator to the maximum extent.
- floorboard noun The floor of a vehicle.
- fog lamp noun A bright red lamp (normally one of a pair) at the rear of a motor car that can be switched on during foggy weather so as to avoid…
- fog light noun One of a pair of lights, mounted at the front of a car, below the headlights, usually white or yellow in colour, for increased visibility…
- footplate noun A platform on which the driver's foot rests but which, unlike a pedal, has no effect.
- forced induction noun The process of blowing compressed air into the cylinders of an internal combustion piston engine to increase the compression ratio and…
- four-on-the-floor noun A four-speed manual transmission whose gearshift lever is mounted beside the driver on the floor of the vehicle.
- four-stroking noun Abnormal operation of a two-stroke internal combustion engine, such that the cylinder only fires every second cycle (like a four-stroke…
- four-wheel drive adj four-wheel drive when used as an attributive adjective.
- frame rail noun Each of the two main longitudinal structural members of a body‑on‑frame vehicle, running parallel front to rear and supporting the chassis…
- frame table noun a supporting framework that is true and square, used to square up a vehicular frame, to elevate a vehicle's frame to work on it, or to…
- freewheel verb Of a motorist, to operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill.
- front seat noun A seat in the front of the vehicle, especially the one next to the driver.
- front wing noun The section in the front of a Formula One vehicle which deflects the turbulent air that is generated on the sides of the wheels so that it…
- froot noun A boot (storage compartment) located at the front rather than the rear of a car, especially an electric vehicle.
- gaiter noun A protective flexible sleeve covering a moving part, intended to keep the part clean.
- gallery noun A channel that carries engine oil to parts of the engine that need lubrication, such as the main bearings.
- gangsta lean noun A driving position in which the driver holds the wheel with the hand nearest the window while leaning toward the passenger seat or sitting…
- gap insurance noun An optional auto insurance coverage that pays the difference between the vehicle's actual cash value and the remaining balance on the car…
- GB/T noun A plug, cable, charger, or outlet using the electric vehicle charging standard
- gear noun A particular combination or choice of interlocking gears, such that a particular gear ratio is achieved; often selected via a shifter.
- gear shift noun That part of a gearbox involved in changing gear, including the lever and the forks attached to it.
- giggle juice noun Nitrous oxide, laughing gas.
- glasspack noun A kind of automobile muffler in which the exhaust gas passes straight through the center of the muffler. It consists of a smaller tube…
- glove box noun A small compartment with a door on the dashboard of a car, usually on passenger side, used to store (and sometimes lock) items.
- glove compartment noun A compartment recessed in an automobile’s dashboard, that usually has a door and can be locked, intended to hold gloves, papers, etc.
- grand noun A thousand RPM.
- grand tourer noun A kind of sports car designed for high speeds and long distances, combining performance and luxury attributes.
- ground clearance noun The measured distance between a level surface and the lowest part (other than tires or equivalent) of the bottom of a vehicle surmounting…
- halo noun Ellipsis of halo headlight.
- handbrake noun A brake in a vehicle, set by hand, and usually locking on until released by hand, enabling its use when parked.
- handbrake turn noun An automobile driving manoeuvre where the driver starts turning the vehicle and then pulls on the handbrake to make the rear tyres lose…
- haul truck noun An off-road, heavy-duty dump truck specifically engineered for use in high-production mining and exceptionally demanding construction…
- hazards noun Ellipsis of hazard lights.
- head noun The cylinder head, a platform above the cylinders in an internal combustion engine, containing the valves and spark plugs.
- head unit noun The interface and front fascia of a car audio system, entertainment or infotainment unit.
- head-on adj Of a collision, from the front or in the direction of motion.
- headlight fluid noun A fictional ostensible automotive product, used in jokes, to prank someone into searching for the nonexistent item (a snipe hunt), or to…
- headliner noun The interior fabric covering the ceiling-like area inside of a vehicle.
- heavy vehicle noun A vehicle designed to carry large loads or a high number of passengers beyond an officially set weight or number, such as a semitrailer…
- heel-and-toe noun An advanced driving technique that involves operating the throttle and brake pedals simultaneously with the right foot, facilitating normal…
- helicopter ear noun A form of Helmholtz resonance experienced in a moving vehicle, when one of the windows is rolled down.
- hemi noun A motor with hemispherical combustion chambers. A piston engine internal combustion engine with hemispherical piston cylinder heads.
- high-occupancy vehicle lane noun A restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and at least one passenger, including carpools…
- high-octane adj Of fuel, having a high octane number, good antiknock characteristics; used in high-performance vehicles.
- hill start noun The act of starting a motor vehicle moving forwards from a complete stop when going uphill, typically requiring the use of the handbrake.
- hood noun A soft top of a convertible car or carriage.
- horn noun A loud alarm, especially one on a motor vehicle.
- hovercraft noun A vehicle supported on a cushion of air, able to traverse many different types of terrain and travel over water, used for transport.
- hydroplane verb For a car or similar vehicle to slide along the road on a thin film of water between the road and the tyres. This occurs when a car has…
- ice verb To occupy a reserved electric car parking space (especially one equipped with a charger) with a traditional car equipped with an internal…
- idiot light noun Any warning light or indicator on the dashboard of a car, designed to alert the driver to problems, such as the parking brake being on or…
- ignition noun A system for activating combustion in a combustion engine.
- ignition timing noun Of a spark ignition internal combustion engine, the timing, relative to the current piston position and crankshaft angle, of the release of…
- indicator noun A turn signal; each of the flashing lights on each side of a vehicle which indicate a turn is being made to left or right, or a lane change…
- indy noun A car designed to meet the rules on the Indianapolis 500 car race.
- inerter noun An active suspension component that is the dual of the spring. A device that reacts similarly to a spring but 180-degrees out of phase.
- inside lane noun The slow lane.
- instrumentation noun On a vehicle, dashboard gauges monitoring engine functions and performance, along with other essential functions.
- intake manifold noun The part of an internal combustion engine that supplies the fuel and air mixture to the cylinder(s).
- intake system noun The subsystem of an engine that takes in air from the environment and delivers it to the combustion chamber.
- intake valve noun A valve in the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine that controls the passage of fluid to be drawn into the cylinder.
- jacked up adj Describes a 4x4 automobile that has a "lift kit", raising the body and/or frame higher than stock.
- jaywalk verb To behave as a jaywalker; to violate pedestrian traffic regulations by crossing a street away from a designated crossing or to walk in the…
- jockey box noun A glove compartment.
- jump noun Ellipsis of jump-start.
- jump box noun An item of portable equipment for jump-starting a vehicle.
- K-swap noun A car where the engine has been replaced by a Honda K-series internal combustion gasoline engine.
- K-swapped adj Pertaining to cars where the engine has been replaced by a Honda K-series internal combustion gasoline engine.
- KAB noun Initialism of knee airbag.
- kickdown noun In a vehicle with automatic transmission, a downshift triggered by pressing down the throttle pedal.
- kingpin noun The axis around which steered wheels pivot; a bolt that holds the axis in place.
- knock noun Preignition, a type of abnormal combustion occurring in spark ignition engines caused by self-ignition; also, the characteristic knocking…
- knocking noun A repetitive ping, knock, or similar sound coming from an engine in which there are repeated uncontrolled explosions in the combustion…
- landing gear noun The bipod stand found near the front end underneath a truck trailer, used to keep the trailer level when not attached to a tractor truck.
- lanekeeping noun A camera-based system that allows a vehicle to detect when it is drifting out of a lane of the road, and compensate accordingly.
- lap belt noun A seat belt that passes over the hips and does not itself provide restraint to the upper body (although it may be part of a larger system…
- lap sash seatbelt noun A type of seatbelt which goes across the pelvis and then up and diagonally across the body; the conventional type found in most cars today.
- learner's permit noun A restricted license that is given to a person who is learning to drive, but has not yet satisfied the requirement to obtain a driver's…
- left-hander noun A bend or turn to the left; a left-hand corner.
- liftgate noun A closure at the rear of a vehicle, or rear door, that can be raised to access the back of a vehicle.
- liftglass noun A windshield panel at the rear of a vehicle that can be raised to provide space for protruding objects, intended for when opening the…
- light vehicle noun A vehicle designed to carry small loads or a small number of passengers up to an officially set weight or number, such as a car, van…
- lighting-up time noun A time period during which all motor vehicles on unlit public roads must have their headlights switched on.
- line noun A particular path taken by a vehicle when driving a bend or corner in the road.
- locker noun A locking differential.
- locking differential noun A kind of automotive differential that provides increased traction by restricting each of the two wheels on an axle to the same rotational…
- London bus noun A double-decker bus
- long block noun An engine subassembly that consists of the assembled short block, plus the crankshaft, cylinder head, camshaft (usually), and valve train.
- LS-swap noun A car where the engine has been replaced by a General Motors LS-series internal combustion gasoline engine.
- LS-swapped adj Pertaining to cars where the engine has been replaced by a GM LS-series internal combustion gasoline engine.
- LT noun A designation for a trim level within a model of trucks; it denotes low-end (base model) features.
- lug noun A lug nut.