machine tool

American  

noun

1. a power-operated machine, as a lathe, used for general cutting and shaping of metal and other substances.

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machine tool British  

noun

1. a power-driven machine, such as a lathe, miller, or grinder, that is used for cutting, shaping, and finishing metals or other materials

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Other Word Forms

• machine-tooled adjective

Etymology

Origin of machine tool

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

"Regional pockets and certain sectors have been hit harder," such as tourism and machine tool manufacturing, he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Manufacturers report persistent shortages of machine tool operators and technicians who can repair complex new equipment, skills that take time and training to learn.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

The staff grew to seventeen, including what the writer Robert Marks later described as “Polish sheet metal experts, Italian machine tool men, Scandinavian woodcraftsmen, and former Rolls-Royce coach makers.”

From Slate • Aug. 2, 2022

American businessman Gene Haas expanded into F1 in 2016 as the means to grow his machine tool building company internationally.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 21, 2021

In the machine tool industries, one-third of the interest in the plant is given to the inventor.

From Industrial Progress and Human Economics by Hartness, James