machine

[ muh-sheen ]

/ məˈʃin /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR machine ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an apparatus consisting of interrelated parts with separate functions, used in the performance of some kind of work: a sewing machine.

a mechanical apparatus or contrivance; mechanism.

Mechanics.

a device that transmits or modifies force or motion.
Also called simple machine. any of six or more elementary mechanisms, as the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, wedge, and inclined plane.
Also called complex machine. a combination of simple machines.

Older Use.

an automobile or airplane.
a typewriter.

a bicycle or motorcycle.

a vending machine: a cigarette machine.

any complex agency or operating system: the machine of government.

an organized group of persons that conducts or controls the activities of a political party or organization: He heads the Democratic machine in our city.

a person or thing that acts in a mechanical or automatic manner: Routine work had turned her into a machine.

any of various contrivances, especially those formerly used in theater, for producing stage effects

some agency, personage, incident or other feature introduced for effect into a literary composition.

verb (used with object), ma·chined, ma·chin·ing.

to make, prepare, or finish with a machine or with machine tools.

Origin of machine

1540–50; < French < Latin māchina < Doric Greek māchanā́ pulley, akin to mâchos contrivance; cf. mechanic

OTHER WORDS FROM machine

ma·chine·less, adjective an·ti·ma·chine, adjective un·ma·chined, adjective

Words nearby machine

machilid, machilipatnam, machinable, machinate, machination, machine, machine bolt, machine code, machine finish, machine gun, machine head

Example sentences from the Web for machine

The billionaire philanthropist tastes the product of a machine that processes human sewage into drinking water and electricity.

Bill Gates Drinks Sewer Water |Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
They were the machine gun bullets coming from the ambush when my company got hit.

The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile |Robert Ward |January 3, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Check: “This atom smashing business is going to herald the final victory of the machine.”

Mailer’s Letters Pack a Punch and a Surprising Degree of Sweetness |Ronald K. Fried |December 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The player starts out with a fleet of three or four ships (depending on the machine), which he operates one at a time.

‘Asteroids’ & The Dawn of the Gamer Age |David Owen |November 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

The machine, Rains said, would record scores of up to 1,000,000 points.

‘Asteroids’ & The Dawn of the Gamer Age |David Owen |November 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The lower hook is so adjusted that the hind wheel rests in it, thus forming a perfect support for the machine.

The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 46, September 23, 1897 |Various
He had just attached the machine and at this point it was not turned on.

Warren Commission (3 of 26): Hearings Vol. III (of 15) |The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
These things of the first importance, had not been placed upon our machine.

Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy |Anonymous
A bell is automatically rung by the machine to warn the attendant that the desired length has been deposited into the can.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 6 |Various
The wrenches that go with the machine, and the common malleable iron caps for the top cylinder, are shown in detail.

Scientific American, Vol.22, No. 1, January 1, 1870 |Various

British Dictionary definitions for machine

machine

/ (məˈʃiːn) /

noun

an assembly of interconnected components arranged to transmit or modify force in order to perform useful work

Also called: simple machine a device for altering the magnitude or direction of a force, esp a lever, screw, wedge, or pulley

a mechanically operated device or means of transport, such as a car, aircraft, etc

any mechanical or electrical device that automatically performs tasks or assists in performing tasks

(modifier) denoting a firearm that is fully automatic as distinguished from semiautomatic
(in combination)machine pistol; machine gun

any intricate structure or agency the war machine

a mechanically efficient, rigid, or obedient person

an organized body of people that controls activities, policies, etc

(esp in the classical theatre) a device such as a pulley to provide spectacular entrances and exits for supernatural characters

an event, etc, introduced into a literary work for special effect

verb

(tr) to shape, cut, or remove (excess material) from (a workpiece) using a machine tool

to use a machine to carry out a process on (something)

Derived forms of machine

machinable or machineable, adjective machinability, noun machineless, adjective machine-like, adjective

Word Origin for machine

C16: via French from Latin māchina machine, engine, from Doric Greek makhana pulley; related to makhos device, contrivance

Scientific definitions for machine

machine

[ mə-shēn′ ]

A device that applies force, changes the direction of a force, or changes the strength of a force, in order to perform a task, generally involving work done on a load. Machines are often designed to yield a high mechanical advantage to reduce the effort needed to do that work.♦ A simple machine is a wheel, a lever, or an inclined plane. All other machines can be built using combinations of these simple machines; for example, a drill uses a combination of gears (wheels) to drive helical inclined planes (the drill-bit) to split a material and carve a hole in it.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

machine

noun

verb (used with object), ma·chined, ma·chin·ing.

Origin of machine

OTHER WORDS FROM machine

Words nearby machine

Example sentences from the Web for machine

British Dictionary definitions for machine

noun

verb

Derived forms of machine

Word Origin for machine

Scientific definitions for machine

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

machine

noun

verb (used with object), ma·chined, ma·chin·ing.

Origin of machine

OTHER WORDS FROM machine

Words nearby machine

Words related to machine

Example sentences from the Web for machine

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for machine

noun

verb

Derived forms of machine

Word Origin for machine

Scientific definitions for machine

British Dictionary definitions for machine