appliance
Americannoun
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an instrument, apparatus, or device for a particular purpose or use.
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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.
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the act of applying; application.
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Archaic. a measure; stratagem.
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Obsolete. compliance.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a machine or device, esp an electrical one used domestically
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any piece of equipment having a specific function
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a device fitted to a machine or tool to adapt it for a specific purpose
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another name for a fire engine
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of appliance
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."
Vocabulary lists containing appliance
List 2
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"A Bright Idea" and "What Is Coding Anyway?"
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List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Appliance demand has deteriorated significantly, according to Whirlpool, which is now warning that trends look worse now than during some recessionary times of the past.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
Appliance trade-ins can boost sales for a quarter.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
Howard’s Appliance, a 79-year-old retail chain based in the City of Industry, had several locations in eastern Los Angeles and Riverside, as well as in Long Beach, Laguna Hills and Torrance.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025
In 2015, the Suning Appliance Group, which also used to own the top Italian club Inter Milan, bought Jiangsu FC.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2025
All that was left in Dyer’s Appliance, as far as Milton could tell, was a rack of vacuum bags.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
