coin-operated
Americanadjective
noun
-
a coin-operated machine.
-
a place with such machines, especially a self-service laundry.
Etymology
Origin of coin-operated
First recorded in 1955–60
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.
The renamed Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corp. made coin-operated machines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
There’s an Irish airline executive named Michael O’Leary who so loves upcharges and cost-cutting that, over the years, he has floated selling standing-room flights, charging overweight passengers more, and installing coin-operated restrooms.
From Barron's ● May 8, 2026
“Gone are the days when vending machines were simple coin-operated snack dispensers,” writes Dave Berman, a co-founder of the U.K. vending-machine service company VendEase.
From Slate ● Feb. 1, 2025
For the zoomers reading, that’s a coin-operated phone you can use to make calls.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2024
“Then why did Halliday leave you his vast collection of classic coin-operated videogames?” a reporter asked.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
