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Definition of engineer verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

engineer

verb
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪr/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they engineer
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪr/
he / she / it engineers
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪəz/
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪrz/
past simple engineered
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪəd/
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪrd/
past participle engineered
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪəd/
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪrd/
-ing form engineering
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪərɪŋ/
 
/ˌendʒɪˈnɪrɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. engineer something (often disapproving) to arrange for something to happen or take place, especially when this is done secretly in order to give yourself an advantage synonym contrive
    • She engineered a further meeting with him.
    Extra Examples
    • I carefully engineered a meeting with the director.
    • He had no idea that his downfall had been engineered by his deputy.
    • The firm effectively engineered its own takeover.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • brilliantly
    • carefully
    • deliberately
    verb + engineer
    • seek to
    • try to
    See full entry
  2. [usually passive] to design and build something
    • be… engineered The car is beautifully engineered and a pleasure to drive.
    • engineer something the men who engineered the tunnel
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • carefully
    • finely
    • precisely
    See full entry
  3. engineer something to change the genetic structure of something
    • genetically engineered crops
    • Some biotech crops are engineered to ward off pests.
    Topics Biologyc1
  4. Word OriginMiddle English (denoting a designer and constructor of fortifications and weapons; formerly also as ingineer): in early use from Old French engigneor, from medieval Latin ingeniator, from ingeniare ‘contrive, devise’, from Latin ingenium ‘talent, device’, from in- ‘in’ + gignere ‘beget’; in later use from French ingénieur or Italian ingegnere, also based on Latin ingenium, with the ending influenced by -eer.
See engineer in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee engineer in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
aspiration
noun
 
 
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