Donkey Engine (Noun)
Meaning 1
A locomotive for switching rolling stock in a railroad yard.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
(nautical) a small engine (as one used on board ships to operate a windlass).
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The sailors used the donkey engine to lift the anchor and set sail for the open sea.
- As the ship approached the dock, the crew fired up the donkey engine to power the windlass and moor the vessel securely.
- When the winch on the salvage ship broke down, the crew had to rely on the donkey engine to slowly haul in the wreckage.
- The rusty old donkey engine, despite its age, still managed to churn out enough power to raise the heavy cargo net.
- To maneuver in tight spaces, the tugboat's captain used the donkey engine to control the vessel's movements with precision.