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machinist

American  
[muh-shee-nist] / məˈʃi nɪst /

noun

machinists plural
  1. a person who operates machinery, especially a skilled operator of machine tools.

  2. a person who makes or repairs machines.

  3. U.S. Navy. a warrant officer whose duty is to assist the engineering officer in the engine room.


machinist British  
/ məˈʃiːnɪst /

noun

  1. a person who operates machines to cut or process materials

  2. a maker or repairer of machines

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of machinist

First recorded in 1700–10; machine + -ist

Vocabulary lists containing machinist

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.

See Examples For:

"I thought I would lay low for a while and seek new employment once the situation calms," said Musa Hashimi, who worked as a machinist in a textile factory.

From Barron's Jul. 3, 2026

The Air Force veteran and union machinist told Romero he was mulling a run for public office.

From Salon Feb. 3, 2026

The story begins in Boston, at the close of the Civil War, when machinist Ira Steward penned a pamphlet called “The Eight Hour Movement.”

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 11, 2025

All around him, workers are cutting the leather into the right shape to hand it to the machinist.

From BBC Jan. 31, 2025

His parents had been sharecroppers who moved north and became a machinist and a nurse.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

The construction and installation of offshore wind turbines requires the expertise of skilled electrical workers, pipe fitters, welders, pile drivers, iron workers, machinists and carpenters.

From Salon May 9, 2026

Demand for machinists, on the other hand, has fallen considerably.

From MarketWatch Apr. 23, 2026

Sciortino estimates that there are 550,000 CNC machinists in Germany, compared with 350,000 in the whole of the US.

From BBC Apr. 20, 2026

The defense workers’ strike followed a much larger walk off last year by about 33,000 machinists in Boeing’s Seattle-area commercial-jet factories.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 13, 2025

After we got Jake, Mr. Dubonnet, and the machinists safe in the blockhouse or hiding behind their cars, Auk XIV erupted from the pad, spinning once around the rod before hurtling into the sky.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

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