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

Derived 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

Logos for Haas Automation, the CNC machine tool manufacturing company Haas founded, will be on his two cars at this week’s F1 test in Bahrain.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 6, 2022

Estimated time required to learn machine tool work 164 21.

From Wage Earning and Education by Lutz, Rufus Rolla