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 simple machine . any of six or more elementary mechanisms, as the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, wedge, and inclined plane.
Also called complex machine . 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 theater, for producing stage effects

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. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for machine

The billionaire philanthropist tastes the product of a machine that processes human sewage into drinking water and electricity.
Bill Gates Drinks Sewer Water|Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They were the machine gun bullets coming from the ambush when my company got hit.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“If BMW is ‘the ultimate driving machine,’ your Anthem is the ultimate differentiator,” writes Hogshead.
Can Self-Help Books Really Make a New You?|Lizzie Crocker|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The resulting Wool Runners were comfortable, eco-friendly, machine-washable, and super cute—and sold out almost immediately.
The Coolest Fashion Innovations of 2014|Raquel Laneri|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It was a complex task they were asked to do, and every cultural and experiential advantage would be required.
Why Did We Panic After 9/11 and Ignore All We Knew About Responding to Security Threats?|Deborah Pearlstein|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The controlling leaders being out of gear the machine did not run smoothly: there was nothing but friction and tension.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
A little black girl sat on the floor, and with her hands worked the treadle of the machine.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The sewing-machine made a resounding clatter in the room; it was of a ponderous, by-gone make.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The machine penetrated everywhere, thrusting aside with its gigantic arm the feeble efforts of handicraft.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
"I have a letter somewhere," looking in the machine drawer and finding the letter in the bottom of the workbasket.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

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.

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machine

noun

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

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Origin of machine

OTHER WORDS FROM machine

Example sentences from the Web for machine

British Dictionary definitions for machine

noun

verb

Derived forms of machine

Word Origin for machine

Scientific definitions for machine

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

machine

noun

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

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

Origin of machine

OTHER WORDS FROM machine

Words related to machine

Example sentences from the Web for machine

British Dictionary definitions for machine

noun

verb

Derived forms of machine

Word Origin for machine

Scientific definitions for machine