machinery

American  

[muh-shee-nuh-ree] / məˈʃi nə ri /

noun

plural

machineries

1. an assemblage of machines or mechanical apparatuses.

   the machinery of a factory.

2. the parts of a machine, collectively.

   the machinery of a watch.

3. a group of people or a system by which action is maintained or by which some result is obtained.

   the machinery of government.

   Synonyms:

   setup, structure, organization

4. a group of contrivances for producing stage effects.

5. the group or aggregate of literary machines, especially those of supernatural agency epic machinery in an epic poem.

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machinery British  

/ məˈʃiːnərɪ /

noun

1. machines, machine parts, or machine systems collectively

2. a particular machine system or set of machines

3. a system similar to a machine

   the machinery of government

4. literary devices used for effect in epic poetry

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Other Word Forms

• antimachinery adjective

Etymology

Origin of machinery

First recorded in 1680–90; machine + -ery

Example Sentences

The southern state of Baden-Württemberg grew rich after World War II by exporting high-tech machinery and autos to the world.

From The Wall Street Journal

Analog chips are used across a wide range of markets, from automobiles and industrial machinery to consumer electronics.

From MarketWatch

A sudden blow to the state's coercive machinery could shift the domestic balance in unpredictable ways.

From BBC

Slowly but surely, the unremarkable patch of scrubland next to Palmdale’s McAdam Park has been transformed into a bustling construction site swarming with workers and heavy machinery.

From MarketWatch

Given the sheer tonnage of Russian machinery still at the launchpad, it appears there is an enormous job ahead.

From Barron's

Related Words

• apparatus
• appliance
• engine
• equipment
• gear
• instrument
• motor
• system
• tool
• utensil
• vehicle