machine

[ muh-sheen ]

/ məˈʃin /

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See synonyms for: machine / machined / machining on Thesaurus.com

noun

an apparatus consisting of interrelated parts with separate functions, used in the performance of some kind of work: a sewing machine.

a mechanical apparatus or contrivance; mechanism.

Mechanics.

a device that transmits or modifies force or motion.
Also called sim·ple ma·chine . any of six or more elementary mechanisms, as the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, wedge, and inclined plane.
Also called com·plex ma·chine . a combination of simple machines.

Older Use.

an automobile or airplane.
a typewriter.

a bicycle or motorcycle.

a vending machine: a cigarette machine.

any complex agency or operating system: the machine of government.

an organized group of persons that conducts or controls the activities of a political party or organization:He heads the Democratic machine in our city.

a person or thing that acts in a mechanical or automatic manner: Routine work had turned her into a machine.

any of various contrivances, especially those formerly used in the theater, for producing stage effects: The ancient Greeks used a theatrical machine to lower actors onto the stage.

some agency, personage, incident or other feature introduced for effect into a literary composition.

verb (used with object), ma·chined, ma·chin·ing.

to make, prepare, or finish with a machine or with machine tools.

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Origin of machine

First recorded in 1540–50; from French, from Latin māchina, from Doric Greek māchanā́ “pulley,” akin to mâchos “contrivance”; cf. mechanic

OTHER WORDS FROM machine

ma·chine·less, adjectivean·ti·ma·chine, adjectiveun·ma·chined, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use machine in a sentence

Your life is in the hands of the pilots together with the most complex machine ever devised for travel.
The New Fear of Flying After MH370|Clive Irving|March 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The 787 is the singlemost advanced and complex machine ever designed for everyday use by the public.
Exclusive: The Dreamliner Could Be Flying Again Sooner Than You Think|Clive Irving|February 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
An organism was no longer just an animal, it was a complex machine comprised of millions of parts.
How to Write a Winning Ivy League Essay|Kathleen Kingsbury|October 25, 2009|DAILY BEAST
An idea itself is an extremely simple thing, even if it be developed ultimately into a highly complex machine.
Invention|Bradley A. Fiske

We grant that man is a very complex machine, a microcosm peopled with possibilities of which we can understand but little.
Irish Witchcraft and Demonology|St. John D. (St. John Drelincourt) Seymour
The church to whose work he had joyfully given himself from his youth had grown to be a mighty and a highly complex machine.
John Wesley, Jr.|Dan B. Brummitt
The plant is a complex machine for concentrating and storing energy and material from without.
Disease in Plants|H. Marshall Ward
Can he be justly held accountable, if the huge and complex machine goes wrong in any part?
On the State of Lunacy and the Legal Provision for the Insane|John T. Arlidge

British Dictionary definitions for machine

machine

/ (məˈʃiːn) /

noun

an assembly of interconnected components arranged to transmit or modify force in order to perform useful work

Also called: simple machine a device for altering the magnitude or direction of a force, esp a lever, screw, wedge, or pulley

a mechanically operated device or means of transport, such as a car, aircraft, etc

any mechanical or electrical device that automatically performs tasks or assists in performing tasks

(modifier) denoting a firearm that is fully automatic as distinguished from semiautomatic
(in combination)machine pistol; machine gun

any intricate structure or agencythe war machine

a mechanically efficient, rigid, or obedient person

an organized body of people that controls activities, policies, etc

(esp in the classical theatre) a device such as a pulley to provide spectacular entrances and exits for supernatural characters

an event, etc, introduced into a literary work for special effect

verb

(tr) to shape, cut, or remove (excess material) from (a workpiece) using a machine tool

to use a machine to carry out a process on (something)

Derived forms of machine

machinable or machineable, adjectivemachinability, nounmachineless, adjectivemachine-like, adjective

Word Origin for machine

C16: via French from Latin māchina machine, engine, from Doric Greek makhana pulley; related to makhos device, contrivance

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for machine

machine

[ mə-shēn′ ]

A device that applies force, changes the direction of a force, or changes the strength of a force, in order to perform a task, generally involving work done on a load. Machines are often designed to yield a high mechanical advantage to reduce the effort needed to do that work.♦ A simple machine is a wheel, a lever, or an inclined plane. All other machines can be built using combinations of these simple machines; for example, a drill uses a combination of gears (wheels) to drive helical inclined planes (the drill-bit) to split a material and carve a hole in it.

machine

Origin of machine

OTHER WORDS FROM machine

Words related to machine

How to use machine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for machine

Derived forms of machine

Word Origin for machine

Scientific definitions for machine