machine

American  

[muh-sheen] / məˈʃin /

noun

1. an apparatus consisting of interrelated parts with separate functions, used in the performance of some kind of work.

   a sewing machine.

2. a mechanical apparatus or contrivance; mechanism.

3. Mechanics.

   1. a device that transmits or modifies force or motion.

   2. Also called simple machine.  any of six or more elementary mechanisms, as the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, wedge, and inclined plane.

   3. Also called complex machine.  a combination of simple machines.

4. Older Use.

   1. an automobile or airplane.

   2. a typewriter.

5. a bicycle or motorcycle.

6. a vending machine.

   a cigarette machine.

7. any complex agency or operating system.

   the machine of government.

8. an organized group of persons that conducts or controls the activities of a political party or organization.

   He heads the Democratic machine in our city.

9. a person or thing that acts in a mechanical or automatic manner.

   Routine work had turned her into a machine.

10. any of various contrivances, especially those formerly used in the theater, for producing stage effects.

    The ancient Greeks used a theatrical machine to lower actors onto the stage.

11. some agency, personage, incident or other feature introduced for effect into a literary composition.

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verb (used with object)

machined, machining

1. to make, prepare, or finish with a machine or with machine tools.

machine British  

/ məˈʃiːn /

noun

1. an assembly of interconnected components arranged to transmit or modify force in order to perform useful work

2. Also called: simple machine.  a device for altering the magnitude or direction of a force, esp a lever, screw, wedge, or pulley

3. a mechanically operated device or means of transport, such as a car, aircraft, etc

4. any mechanical or electrical device that automatically performs tasks or assists in performing tasks

5. 1. (modifier) denoting a firearm that is fully automatic as distinguished from semiautomatic

   2. ( in combination )

      machine pistol

      machine gun

6. any intricate structure or agency

   the war machine

7. a mechanically efficient, rigid, or obedient person

8. an organized body of people that controls activities, policies, etc

9. (esp in the classical theatre) a device such as a pulley to provide spectacular entrances and exits for supernatural characters

10. an event, etc, introduced into a literary work for special effect

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verb

1. (tr) to shape, cut, or remove (excess material) from (a workpiece) using a machine tool

2. to use a machine to carry out a process on (something)

machine Scientific  

/ mə-shēn′ /

1. A device that applies force, changes the direction of a force, or changes the strength of a force, in order to perform a task, generally involving work done on a load. Machines are often designed to yield a high mechanical advantage to reduce the effort needed to do that work.

2. ◆ A simple machine is a wheel, a lever, or an inclined plane. All other machines can be built using combinations of these simple machines; for example, a drill uses a combination of gears (wheels) to drive helical inclined planes (the drill-bit) to split a material and carve a hole in it.

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Other Word Forms

• antimachine adjective
• machinability noun
• machinable adjective
• machine-like adjective
• machineless adjective
• unmachined adjective

Etymology

Origin of machine

First recorded in 1540–50; from French, from Latin māchina, from Doric Greek māchanā́ “pulley,” akin to mâchos “contrivance”; mechanic

Example Sentences

This year, pitchers, catchers and hitters can appeal umpires’ calls at home plate to a machine equipped with technology that can accurately track the ball’s location to within a fraction of an inch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Modern-day California has never had that kind of all-powerful political machine.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

No such machine exists yet, but there may be one within three years, the researchers added.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

But the user “isn’t stupid,” Adams explained — they know it’s a machine without “human needs and feelings” and can’t foster “the sense of human accountability” that is crucial to true critical thinking.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

“There was only one logical explanation. The Germans had begun using a machine to generate ciphers.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• apparatus
• appliance
• automobile
• engine
• gadget
• instrument
• motor
• tool
• vehicle