apparatus
Americannoun
plural
apparatus, apparatuses-
a group or combination of instruments, machinery, tools, materials, etc., having a particular function or intended for a specific use.
Our town has excellent fire-fighting apparatus.
-
any complex instrument or mechanism for a particular purpose.
- Synonyms:
- contrivance, contraption, device, appliance, machine
-
any system or systematic organization of activities, functions, processes, etc., directed toward a specific goal.
the apparatus of government; espionage apparatus.
-
Physiology. a group of structurally different organs working together in the performance of a particular function.
the digestive apparatus.
noun
-
a collection of instruments, machines, tools, parts, or other equipment used for a particular purpose
-
a machine having a specific function
breathing apparatus
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the means by which something operates; organization
the apparatus of government
-
anatomy any group of organs having a specific function
Usage
Plural word for apparatus The plural form of apparatus can be either apparatus or apparatuses. The appropriate plural form depends on whether the term is considered to be a mass (uncountable) noun (like air or rice) or a count noun (like apple or car). When used as a mass noun, the correct plural form is apparatus, as in The lab apparatus must be removed before the lab can be painted. When used as a count noun, the correct plural form is apparatuses, as in The ship is equipped with apparatuses for security, cargo loading, and more. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -s are also formed the same way, such as pass/passes, lotus/lotuses, and dress/dresses. In some nouns that end in -us that are derived from Latin, the irregular plural ending -i may be used instead, as in fungus/fungi or cactus/cacti. These nouns are considered irregular nouns.However, this ending is not valid for apparatus. Apparati would be an invalid plural for apparatus.
Etymology
Origin of apparatus
1620–30; < Latin apparātus equipment, originally the act of equipping, preparation, equivalent to apparā ( re ) to prepare ( ap- ap- 1 + parāre; prepare ) + -tus suffix of v. action
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Private data sources have been around since before the U.S. government began to put together its modern statistical apparatus in the 1930s, and have often filled gaps since then.
A total of 112 fire personnel were sent to the incident where they assumed a defensive position, surrounding the building with water spraying apparatuses, he said.
From Los Angeles Times
He put to memory the workings of the Arkwright apparatus and, after his apprenticeship ended, set off for America.
From Barron's
It continued: “Of that, $15 million has ensured that new tools, necessary equipment, and vital apparatus are already in the field and in the hands of the firefighters who serve our city daily.”
From Los Angeles Times
When Arco swipes his sister’s flying apparatus for a secret midnight soar, however, he falls into the year 2075 and a tech-dependent Earth world barely hanging on in the face of incessant weather disasters.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
