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Synonyms

machine shop

American  

noun

  1. a workshop in which metal and other substances are cut, shaped, etc., by machine tools.

machine shop British  

noun

  1. a workshop in which machine tools are operated

"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

Etymology

Origin of machine shop

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

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.

Paying her $2,200 monthly mortgage has gotten easier now that her partner, who runs a machine shop, is sharing the burden.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026

With his 37-foot boat tied up at the dock for most of last year, Winter turned to part-time work at a machine shop to help cover his expenses.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2024

He really grew up in the agricultural machine shop, as my tagalong in the fields, supervising and servicing machinery.

From Slate • Dec. 16, 2023

Sagui Dekel-Chen was tinkering in the kibbutz machine shop when he saw the armed intruders and raced to a rooftop for a better look.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 4, 2023

The machine shop was no more than a dozen yards away, its lights illuminating the gate and the path.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

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.