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

Etymology

Origin of appliance

First recorded in 1555–65; apply + -ance

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

Slow home sales hurt appliance manufacturers because people typically buy expensive refrigerators and washing machines when they are moving or remodeling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

The fan acts as a convection oven, an appliance that circulates hot air in order to cook food quickly and evenly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

You can buy one for just one room or you can get multiple indoor units to work with a single outdoor condenser, according to LG, the household appliance and white goods retailer.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

Across the frequencies examined, the study ruled out transmissions stronger than roughly 10-110 watts, comparable to the power consumption of a typical household appliance.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

For many men, a computer was a piece of living hardware, an appliance that inhaled one set of figures and exhaled another.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

The collection, she said, is a document of social history and shows how the way we live, even down to the appliances we have in the home, has changed over the years.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

It also featured what we’d now call a “vintage” kitchen, featuring antique appliances.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026

SharkNinja raised its full-year outlook after second-quarter sales rose on strong demand across its product lineup, with growth led by cooking appliances, beauty products and international markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Local authorities have converted a community centre into an emergency heat shelter and distributed 67 million won worth of cooling appliances to vulnerable households in Gangnam.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

For several seconds they eyed the appliances warily.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Related Words

• device
• gadget
• instrument
• tool