boring machine

American

noun

Metalworking. a machine for boring holes in which the cutter is rotated, usually about a horizontal axis.

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.

To get to the boring machine we are driven for an hour in a buggy in the tunnel.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2025

Drilling was also paused on Wednesday after the boring machine hit a metal girder, causing some damage to its blades and a six-hour delay as rescuers worked to clear the obstacle.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2023

This round metal device, a custom-made tunnel boring machine that’s decorated with colorful handprints, was lowered into a 138-foot shaft weeks ago and is now preparing to dig a two-mile sewer tunnel in Alexandria.

From Washington Post • Sep. 12, 2022

It was one of the nation’s most ambitious urban tunneling projects, but also became known for a breakdown in the tunnel boring machine that caused a long delay.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2021

This machine may also be used as an ordinary horizontal boring machine.

From Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II by Rose, Joshua

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023