Engineer sb.

Forms: α. 4 engyn(e)our, 6 yngynore, ingenor. β. 6–7 en-, inginer, -are, engyner, ingener. γ. 7 en-, ingenier(e, -ir, ingeneer(e, en-, inginier, ingineer, 7– engineer. [ME. engyneour, a. OF. engigneor (for which mod.F. has the semi-learned form ingénieur, perh. influenced by It.), corresp. to Pr. enginhador:—late L. ingeniātōrem, f. ingeniāre: see prec. In 16th c. the word assumed the form en-, inginer, as if f. ENGINE v. + -ER. (a derivation which yields the same sense as the Romanic word). Early in 17th c. appear the forms in -ier(e, -eer. The precise origin of these is uncertain; they may be ad. Fr. ingénieur, or perh. ad. It. ingegniere, which is a distinct word = Sp. engeñero (Minsheu), Pg. engenheiro, OF. engignier (Cotgr. enginier):—L. type *ingeniārius, f. ingenium (see ENGINE sb.); on the other hand they may be f. ENGINE sb. + -ier, -eer, this suffix having in 16th c. already become familiar in military words of Romanic origin.]

  † 1.  One who contrives, designs or invents; an author, designer (Const. of); also absol. an inventor, a plotter, a layer of snares. Obs. In the later quots. perh. a fig. use of 2.

  α.  c. 1420.  Metr. Life St. Kath. (Halliw.), 14. In hys court was a false traytoure, That was a grete Yngynore.

  β.  1592.  G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., 8. The dreadfull enginer of phrases insteede of thunderboltes.

1602.  Carew, Cornwall, 99. The Inginer of this practise … was a Portugall.

1605.  B. Jonson, Sejanus, I. i. B. No, Silius, we are no good Inginers.

1611.  Rich, Honest. Age (1844), 36. Yet you cannot deny them to be the deuil’s enginers.

  γ.  a. 1635.  R. Sibbes, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. ix. 15. That great engineer, Satan.

a. 1680.  Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 300. For certainly these are the most prime Engineers of Oaths, that ever the World knew.

1702.  Swift, Wks. (1841), II. 478. The engineers of this bill [a bill before the House of Commons] thought they had obtained a great advantage against me.

  2.  † a. A constructor of military engines (obs.) [So L. ingeniator in Pipe Rolls 12th c.] b. One who designs and constructs military works for attack or defence; also fig. Also in comb., as † engineer-general.

  α.  c. 1325.  Coer de L., 1387. A tour ful strong, That queyntyly engynours made.

c. 1380.  Sir Ferumb., 3223. Þe Amyral made his engyneour; þe engyns to sette & bende.

1607.  Norden, Surv. Dial., 189. M. William Englebert, an excellent Ingenor.

  β.  1579.  Digges, Stratiot., 144. Expert Enginers and menne of excellente knouledge in the art of Fortification.

1583.  T. Stocker, Hist. Civile Warres Low Countries, I. 50 b. The buylder and Engyner whereof [of the Castle of Antwerpe] was one Pachiotto.

1600.  Holland, Livy, XXIV. xxxiv. 532. But a more wonderfull enginer, for devising and framing of artillerie, ordinance, fabrickes, and instruments of warre.

1602.  Shaks., Ham., III. iv. 26 (Globe). For ’tis the sport to have the enginer Hoist with his own petar.

1631.  Weever, Anc. Fun. Mon., 591. Sir William Heydon knight, a worthy gentleman, a valiant Souldier, and an expert Enginer.

  γ.  1551.  Edw. VI., Jrnl. (1858), II. 369. Baron de la Garde had seene it [Portesmouth castell] having an ingenir with him, and, as it was thought, had the platte of it.

1627.  Drayton, Agincourt, 8. The Engineer prouiding the Petar To breake the strong Percullice.

1637.  Sir H. Blount, Voy. into Levant, 31. The Gran Master and a chiefe Engeniere.

1638.  Suckling, ’Tis now since, etc. in Fragm. Aurea (1646), 31 (R.).

1653.  Holcroft, Procopius, II. 49. By the advise of Theodorus, a famous Ingineer.

1686.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2023/4. Major Martin Beckman, His Majesties chief Ingenier.

1707.  Farquhar, Beaux’ Strat., V. ii. Rise thou prostrate Ingineer, not all thy undermining Skill shall reach my Heart.

1710.  Lond. Gaz., No. 4706/2. Mr. Secretary Addison and the Engineer-General informed the Committee.

1759.  in Picton, L’pool Munic. Rec. (1886), II. 150. Captain More one of His Majesty’s Engineers.

1813.  Wellington, in Gurw., Disp., XI. 29. I hope that he will be able to send an engineer to undertake [the works].

1866.  Kingsley, Herew., I. xviii. 341. She began praising … his skill as a general and engineer.

  c.  A soldier belonging to the division of the army called Engineers, composed of men trained to engineering work. Also attrib., as in engineer-officer, -regiment, -warrant.

1787.  Lond. Gaz., 24–8 April, No. 12850, p. 197. The Corps of Engineers shall in future take the name of the Corps of Royal Engineers.

1794.  Burke, Sp. agst. W. Hastings, Wks. XV. 63. Colonels of artillery and engineers.

1810.  Wellington, in Gurw., Disp., VI. 81. An army composed of divisions,… with its … artillery, engineers, &c., complete.

1889.  Gen. Porter, Hist. Royal Engineers, 143. This day [26 May 1716] may therefore be taken as that on which the Engineer branch of the British army blossomed into a distinct Corps.

  3.  One whose profession is the designing and constructing of works of public utility, such as bridges, roads, canals, railways, harbors, drainage works, gas and water works, etc. From 18th c. also Civil Engineer, for distinction from 2 b.

  Not in Johnson 1755 or Todd 1818; the former has only the military senses, to which the latter adds ‘a maker of engines,’ citing Bullokar. In the early quots. the persons referred to were probably by profession military engineers, though the works mentioned were of a ‘civil’ character. Since 2 b has ceased to be a prominent sense of engineer, the term ‘civil engineer’ has lost its original antithetic force; but it continues to be the ordinary designation of the profession to which it was first applied, distinguishing it from that of ‘mechanical engineer’ (sense 4). Other phraseological combinations, as electric, gas, mining, railway, telegraph engineer, are used to designate those who devote themselves to special departments of engineering.

1606.  Holland, Sueton., 249. An Enginer also … promised to bring into the Capitoll huge Columnes with small charges.

1680.  Lond. Gaz., No. 1547/1. A new Port at Nizza … A famous French Ingenier … has been consulted about it.

a. 1792.  Smeaton, Reports (1797), I. Pref. 7. The first meeting of this new institution, the Society of civil engineers, was held on the 15th of April 1793. Ibid. (1793), Edystone L., Introd. 8. My profession of a civil Engineer. Ibid., § 101. The engineer and his deputy.

1836.  Hull & Selby Railw. Act, 102. A civil engineer of eminence.

1861.  Sat. Rev., 14 Dec., 615. Sir Hugh Myddleton, the enterprising goldsmith, has been called the first English engineer.

1880.  Haughton, Phys. Geog., v. 228. Without much assistance from engineers, they will make a network of natural navigable channels.

  4.  A contriver or maker of ‘engines.’ The precise sense has varied from time to time in accordance with the development of meaning in ENGINE sb.; in present use the engineer in this sense (specifically mechanical engineer) is a maker of steam-engines or of heavy machinery generally.

  In this sense (but not in 3) the term is applied to the working artisan as well as to the employer of labor.

  β.  1575.  Laneham, Lett. (1871), 45. Painterz, Karuerz, Players, Engyners.

1589.  Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, I. viii. (Arb.), 34. There could be no politique Captaine, nor any witty enginer or cunning artificer.

1598.  Florio, Macanopoietico, an inginer, an engine-maker.

  γ.  a. 1628.  F. Greville, Sidney (1652), 39. A skilfull Engenier, an excellent Musician, or any other Artificer of extraordinary fame.

1654.  J. B[ate], Myst. Nat. & Art, 72. According to the fancy & invencion of the Artist or Engineer.

1691.  T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., p. liv. This Engine was invented by … an excellent Engineer.

1734.  Desaguliers, Course Nat. Philos., I. 69. The skill of a good engineer may be advantageously applied in changing the form or altering the parts and motions of a machine.

1747.  R. Campbell, Lond. Tradesman, 248. By Engineer I … mean … that Tradesman who is employed in making Engines for raising of Water, &c.

1831.  Sir J. Sinclair, Corr., II. 62. This celebrated engineer [Robert Fulton] does great credit to the talents of America.

1887.  Pall Mall Gaz., 29 Nov., 11/1. The payment of ‘tips’ ranging from ten to twenty shillings to working engineers and others.

  5.  One who manages an ‘engine’ or engines.

  † a.  One who manages engines of war; an artilleryman. Obs.

1600.  Heywood, Edw. IV., II. Wks. 1874, I. 101. It was not you, At whom the fatall enginer did aime.

1633.  G. Herbert, Temple, Ch.-Porch, xli. Wit ’s an unruly engine, wildly striking Sometimes a friend, sometimes the engineer.

a. 1658.  Cleveland, Lond. Lady, 46. Like the Death-darting Cockatrice (that slye Close Engineer) that murders through the Eye.

1716.  Addison, Free-Holder, No. 19, ¶ 2, 107 (J.). An Author who points his Satyr at a Great Man, is to be looked upon in the same View with the Engineer who signalized himself by this ungenerous Practice.

1800.  Naval Chron., III. 287. In which are included sailors, marines, and the engineers.

  b.  Mod. One who has charge of a steam-engine; in England only with reference to marine engines; in U.S. often applied to the driver of a locomotive engine.

1839.  R. S. Robinson, Naut. Steam Eng., 174. I am not able to speak of the engineers in Her Majesty’s ships.

1856.  Emerson, Eng. Traits, Wealth, Wks. (Bohn), II. 75. Steam, from the first … was dreadful with its explosion … engineers and firemen … have been sacrificed in learning to tame and guide the monster.

1860.  Bartlett, Dict. Amer., Engineer, the engine-driver on our railroads is thus magniloquently designated.