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sewing machine

noun
  1. any of various foot-operated or electric machines for sewing or making stitches, ranging from machines with a shuttle for a spool of thread and a needle for sewing garments to industrial machines for sewing leather, book pages together, etc.
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Origin of sewing machine

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sewing machine

Historical Examples

  • From the work-room came the distant hum of a sewing-machine and the sound of voices.

    K

    Mary Roberts Rinehart

  • Your walls are hung with photographs; your wife or daughter has a sewing-machine.

    The Nation in a Nutshell

    George Makepeace Towle

  • When proceeding northward it has more the appearance of a sewing-machine.

  • For instance, she can contract for the purchase of a sewing-machine for her own use.

  • A small boy decided to surprise his mother by oiling her sewing-machine.

    Common Science

    Carleton W. Washburne

British Dictionary definitions for sewing machine

sewing machine

noun
  1. any machine designed to sew material. It is now usually driven by electric motor but is sometimes operated by a foot treadle or by hand
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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