pinball machine

American  

noun

1. the tablelike, usually coin-operated machine on which pinball is played.

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Etymology

Origin of pinball machine

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that, to a lonely young man, a pinball machine might seem to have its own “temperament and moods,” but then technology is often perceived as emotional.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

A vintage “Halloween” pinball machine and a life-size Nosferatu hover near his easy chair.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025

But her ability to manage her finances is not your responsibility, and we risk embroiling you further in her emotional blackmail and psychological pinball machine by discussing her money troubles.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

Because particles have a charge, their flight path resembles a ball in a pinball machine as they zigzag against the electromagnetic fields through the cosmic microwave background.

From Science Daily • Nov. 23, 2023

He fumbled with the handle of a pinball machine in the darkness of the game room, his liquid eyes as yearning and sincere as those of a puppy.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger