sewing machine

American  

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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sewing machine British  

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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Etymology

Origin of sewing machine

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

Olka was bent over one of the sewing machines, so focused on her work that I had to touch her shoulder to get her attention.

From Literature

Organic cotton and merino wool are more expensive than polyester blends, and the non-poly sewing thread that Landesman prefers can’t run through industrial sewing machines at the same high speeds as its polyester counterpart.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Her favorite colors, without a doubt, I would say are purple and burgundy," the 63-year-old pattern-maker and tailor told AFP amid her sewing machines and a mannequin on which she assembles the presidential wardrobe.

From Barron's

Two years ago, she asked me to use my sewing machine to shore up some of the broken stitching, which I did.

From The Wall Street Journal

Next issue: the cameras’ noise, which has been compared with that of a sewing machine at full tilt.

From The Wall Street Journal