sewing machine

noun

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.

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 of sewing machine

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.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 147, December 30, 1914
Various
For instance, she can contract for the purchase of a sewing-machine for her own use.
The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV
Various
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

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

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