lenoir

noun

1. Jean Jo·seph É·tienne [zhahn zhoh-zef ey-tyen] /ʒɑ̃ ʒoʊˈzɛf eɪˈtyɛn/, 1822–1900, French inventor.
2. a town in W North Carolina.

1. French inventor who in 1859 constructed the first practical internal-combustion engine, which was fueled by coal gas and air. He later built a car and a boat that were powered by this engine.