time machine

American

noun

a theoretical apparatus that would convey one to the past or future.

time machine British

noun

(in science fiction) a machine in which people or objects can be transported into the past or the future

"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 time machine

First recorded in 1890–95

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.

One installation, triggered by flushing the toilet inside the Tardis, emits the sound of the fictional time machine taking off.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Imagine what it would be like to step in a time machine and jump 50 years into the future.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Going through the 200,000 hours of video in the vault is like a trip in a show business time machine where you’ll find:

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

By putting on a uniform and re-creating the life of those soldiers, one could step into a time machine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

The last charm is my favorite because it’s Doctor Who’s time machine.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

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