A unit or measure of mechanical output, especially for engines and motors.
This engine has one hundred horsepower.
Figurative use for a person's drive, stamina, or vigorous working power; common in 馬力がある.
He still has a lot of energy even as he gets older.
horse-drawn cart
Obsolete noun sense; the modern ordinary word for a horse-drawn cart is 荷馬車.
See also: 荷馬車
In old materials, 馬力 can refer to a horse-drawn cart.
This motorcycle has a 100-horsepower engine.
He has a lot of drive when it comes to work.
The deadline is close, so we have to push harder.
馬車 is the ordinary modern word for a horse-drawn carriage, while 馬力 in this sense is an old, now-obsolete term for the same thing.
体力 refers to physical strength or stamina in general, whereas 馬力 emphasizes vigorous drive or output, often in a work context.
荷馬車 is the standard modern term for a horse-drawn cart, replacing the obsolete cart sense of 馬力.
馬力 is the native Japanese word for horsepower, while ＨＰ is the borrowed English abbreviation used in the same technical contexts.
人力 is power supplied by people, while 馬力 (horsepower) is a unit measuring the power of engines or animals, contrasting with human strength.
Written with 馬, 'horse,' and 力, 'power/force,' matching the literal idea of horsepower. The obsolete cart sense is attested, but its detailed historical development is not specified here.