machinist

noun

ma·​chin·​ist mə-ˈshē-nist 

1

a

: a worker who fabricates, assembles, or repairs machinery

b

: a craftsman skilled in the use of machine tools

c

: one who operates a machine

2

archaic : a person in charge of the mechanical aspects of a theatrical production

3

: a warrant officer who supervises machinery and engine operation

Examples of machinist in a Sentence

He is a machinist at the factory.

Recent Examples on the Web

The farm machinist had left his entire community behind to come yodel with us. — Literary Hub, 6 July 2026

Kevin George is now a marine machinist down at the Navy yards, working on getting submarines out to sea. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 July 2026

Required labor will include nuclear welders, precision machinists, metallurgists, reactor engineers, quality inspectors, physicists, systems engineers, and manufacturing engineers. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026

The exhibits also highlight the engineers, machinists and factory workers who spent decades designing and assembling equipment that reshaped landscapes. — Malika Bowling, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1706, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for machinist

• alienist
• hygienist
• cleanest
• greenest
• keenest
• meanest

Kids Definition

machinist

noun

ma·​chin·​ist mə-ˈshē-nəst 

: a person who makes or works on machines and engines