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

Somewhere in your house probably lurks a book, an accessory or an appliance you may not have bought if Winfrey hadn’t given it her seal of approval.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement that multiple crews were at the scene, along with an appliance from County Durham and Darlington.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Cameras have been the name of the game in the appliance world for some time now.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

An appliance that melted rests on a counter in D&P Green, a pine resin distillery destroyed by the wildfire Le Porge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

As Chloe and I walked them around the hologram battlements, Mr. Reilly stepped over to the dolly and carted off the kid’s new toy or appliance or whatever to apartment 723.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson

Instead, it could hop from device to device across networks of cheap, poorly secured consumer hardware such as smart TV boxes and kitchen appliances.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

A whole-house surge protector can keep your electronics and appliances safe in case of sudden electrical spikes in the grid.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Since then I’ve put in about $90,000 more: a new roof, kitchen appliances, plumbing work and new windows.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

Its kitchen featured molded surfaces and electric appliances.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

It was a medley of yellow and green flowers on the walls, with mustard- colored appliances.

From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez

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Related Words

• device
• gadget
• instrument
• tool

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