eli5: What (if any) is the difference between an engine and a motor?

Question

I’ve heard these words used interchangeably over the years, with engine being more prevalent. Is there any difference? Why is a small gas-driven device like a lawnmower commonly said to have a motor, while what is under the hood of a car is almost always referred to as an engine?

In: 160

Answer 1

IN GENERAL, motors run on electricity, and engines run on a fuel like gasoline or diesel.

So like electric toys or power tools have motors in them, which use electricity to make a magnet attached to a drive shaft spin.

While engines are what are in cars and lawn mowers and planes.

Now there’s some confusion in that “motorcycles” and “motorboats” have the word motor in them when they really have engines. But that’s just the name people gave them.