A great article from The Atlantic about the history of the word “engine”. It actually goes back to the 14th century (the medieval usage example they cite is of textile Makers using wool and linen) and is related to the same root as “ingenious”. Just goes to show that ingenious, creative Makers have been around for a long time.
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/08/engine-the-history-of-a-concept-from-14th-century-poetry-to-google/278611/