motive vs motor

motive

adj
  • Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move 

  • Relating to motion and/or to its cause 

verb
  • To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move. 

noun
  • A motif; a theme or subject, especially one that is central to the work or often repeated. 

  • A motif. 

  • An incentive to act in a particular way; a reason or emotion that makes one want to do something; anything that prompts a choice of action. 

  • Something which causes someone to want to commit a crime; a reason for criminal behaviour. 

motor

adj
  • Relating to the ability to move. 

  • Relating to motor cars. 

  • Propelled by an internal combustion engine (as opposed to a steam engine or turbine). 

noun
  • The fermenting mass of fruit that is the basis of pruno, or "prison wine". 

  • A motor car, or automobile, even a goods vehicle. 

  • A source of power for something; an inspiration; a driving force. 

  • Any protein capable of converting chemical energy into mechanical work. 

  • A machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion. 

verb
  • To rotate a jet engine or turboprop using the engine's starter, without introducing fuel into the engine. 

  • To progress at a brisk pace. 

  • To leave. 

How often have the words motive and motor occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )