machinist

American  

[muh-shee-nist] / məˈʃi nɪst /

noun

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.

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machinist British  

/ məˈʃiːnɪst /

noun

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

2. a maker or repairer of machines

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Etymology

Origin of machinist

First recorded in 1700–10; machine + -ist

Example Sentences

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

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2026

Joe Kostka, 71, a retired machinist who paints the trail markers, lined up with his 42-year-old son Tim, who flew in from North Carolina.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2025

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

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025

Those who were lost represented a cross-section of Baltimore: line cook, lawyer, bus driver, engineer, machinist, teacher, restaurant owner, carpenter, veteran, physician, salesman and admissions coordinator for an addiction recovery center.

From New York Times • May 23, 2024

“He may be a first-class machinist, but he knows nothing about scientific principles,” he said.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Related Words

• operator
• worker