sewing machine

American

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.

sewing machine British

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

Etymology

Origin of sewing machine

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

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.

Still, sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is not always visible from behind a classroom sewing machine.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

In second grade, Mother taught me to hand-sew seams and then to use the old black Singer sewing machine.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Demonstrating her new skills, she guided material through her sewing machine to create delicate silk leaves and flowers.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Amanda says she feels like "a new woman" now that she can cut material and use her sewing machine again.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

The sewing machine thumps a methodic beat, never ceasing, but only getting stronger and stronger with each stitch.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

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