appliance

American  

[uh-plahy-uhns] / əˈplaɪ əns /

noun

• appliances
  plural

1. an instrument, apparatus, or device for a particular purpose or use.

2. a piece of equipment, usually operated electrically, especially for use in the home or for performance of domestic chores, as a refrigerator, washing machine, or toaster.

3. the act of applying; application.

4. Archaic. a measure; stratagem.

5. Obsolete. compliance.

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verb (used with object)

applianced, appliancing

1. to equip with appliances.

   a fully applianced kitchen.

appliance British  

/ əˈplaɪəns /

noun

1. a machine or device, esp an electrical one used domestically

2. any piece of equipment having a specific function

3. a device fitted to a machine or tool to adapt it for a specific purpose

4. another name for a fire engine

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reappliance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• appliances
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of appliance

First recorded in 1555–65; apply + -ance

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Explanation

An appliance is a tool or device that performs a certain job. Your toaster is an appliance, and so is your dishwasher. Your dog? Not so much. Most modern homes are full of appliances that perform various useful tasks — or help you perform them. A hairdryer is an appliance that dries your hair, and a television is an appliance that offers hours of mindless entertainment. The earliest meaning of the word was "action of putting into use," from the verb apply, with its Latin root, applicare, which figuratively means "devote oneself to" or "give attention."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

appliance appliances

Part of the problem is home appliance sales are tied to the housing market, and home sales are struggling.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

In the following months, every appliance died, one by one.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026

It was inside that kitchen that the boxing champion filmed commercials promoting his namesake grill, the kitchen appliance that helped turn him into a household name beyond the world of sports.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

Tunnicliff was previously CFO of Beko Europe, a home appliance company, and before that spent 15 years in finance at Whirlpool.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

I say, “David, no way. The last thing we need is you pulling apart another kitchen appliance and turning it into some robo chef.”

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

But there's no evidence domestic appliances are being targeted in the cyber-attacks which targeted supermarkets in November.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

At the center of the home is a chef’s kitchen outfitted with contemporary cabinetry, premium stainless-steel appliances, and an oversized waterfall-style island.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

A 400-watt panel could power a normal-size refrigerator, or most of the other appliances running in an apartment apart from a refrigerator, such as laptops, lamps and a television, Scherer said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

They bought an expensive mattress, installed a new stove and work station and fully stocked the kitchen with dishes and appliances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

The school was directly over an orthopedic appliances shop.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

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Related Words

• device
• gadget
• instrument
• tool

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