under one's own steam
English
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under one's own steam
- /ˌʌndə ˈwʌnz əʊn ˈstiːm/ UK
- /ˌʌndɚ ˈwʌnz oʊn ˈstim/ US
Rhymes with -iːm
Where it comes from
A reference to the operation of a steam engine: see sense 1.
phrase
- Of the movement of a locomotive or a watercraft: by means of the power of its own engines (originally steam engines), rather than pulled or pushed by another vehicle. Now the tug no longer moved under her own steam, nor had it been since coming alongside the wall of the central pier. For all vessels must be towed through the lock basins, and towed not by other craft, but by electric locomotives that run alongside, on top of the concrete walls.
- Using one's own resources; independently, unaided. "People come at their own risk, at their own expense, under their own steam," said Mhairi McKenzie-Robinson, chief administrator of the Fringe [Edinburgh Fringe Festival].
- At one's own initiative; of one's own accord, unbidden, unprompted. I'd been wanting her to go for a long, long time, hoping she'd get up the gumption to do it under her own steam so I wouldn't have to make a scene about it.
Translations
Every language
prep_phrase of a locomotive or a watercraft: by means of the power of its own engines
| Español | por sus propios medios |
|---|---|
| Русский | своим ходом svoim xodom |
prep_phrase using one’s own resources — see also independently, unaided
| Français | par ses propres moyens |
|---|---|
| Русский | своими силами svoimi silami, своим ходом svoim xodom |
prep_phrase at one’s own initiative — see also unbidden, unprompted
| Español | por sus propios medios |
|---|
Talk about this word "under one's own steam." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/under%20one's%20own%20steam. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. under one's own steam. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/under%20one's%20own%20steam "under one's own steam." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/under%20one's%20own%20steam.Cite this
@misc{under_one_s_own_steam_2026,
title = {under one's own steam},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/under%20one's%20own%20steam},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
