rowing machine

American

[roh-ing] / ˈroʊ ɪŋ /

noun

an exercise machine having a mechanism with two oarlike handles, foot braces, and a sliding seat, allowing the user to go through the motions of rowing in a racing shell.

rowing machine British

noun

a device with oars and a sliding seat resembling a sculling boat, used to provide exercise

"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

Etymology

Origin of rowing machine

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

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:

rowing machine

Also found on this level is a gym space, with a pilates machine and a rowing machine, as well as several sets of weights.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

I have a rowing machine next to my desk, so when I’m writing, I just get out of the chair, do some rowing, and then I continue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026

He also has a fitness room with weights, treadmill and a rowing machine, while three parakeets fly around the complex.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2024

I walked past other hopefuls to the rowing machine — I hadn’t had a test in years — and grabbed the paddle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2022

They found a rowing machine on deck and tried it out, posing on it for news photographers.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023