machine

noun, often attributive

ma·chine | \ mə-ˈshēn

Definition of machine

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a archaic : a constructed thing whether material or immaterial

b : conveyance, vehicle especially : automobile

c archaic : a military engine

d : any of various apparatuses formerly used to produce stage effects

e(1) : an assemblage (see assemblage sense 1) of parts that transmit forces, motion, and energy one to another in a predetermined manner

(2) : an instrument (such as a lever) designed to transmit or modify the application of power, force, or motion

f : a mechanically, electrically, or electronically operated device for performing a task a machine for cleaning carpets

g : a coin-operated device a cigarette machine

h : machinery —used with the or in plural

2a : a living organism or one of its functional systems

b : one that resembles a machine (as in being methodical, tireless, or consistently productive) a gifted publicist and quote machine— John Lancaster

c(1) : a combination of persons acting together for a common end along with the agencies they use building a powerful war machine

(2) : a highly organized political group under the leadership of a boss or small clique a politician who challenged the local party machine

3 : a literary device or contrivance introduced for dramatic effect

machine

verb

machined; machining

Definition of machine (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to process by or as if by machine especially : to reduce or finish by or as if by turning, shaping, planing, or milling by machine-operated tools

Other Words from machine Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about machine

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Other Words from machine

Verb

machinability or less commonly machineability \ -ˌshē-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

machinable or less commonly machineable \ -ˈshē-nə-bəl

\ adjective

Examples of machine in a Sentence

Noun

Shovels are tools; bulldozers are machines. Do you know how to operate this machine? The machine is working properly. He was bragging about his new machine. The coach turned the team into a scoring machine. My younger brother is an eating machine. a politician who dared to challenge the local party machine Their army is a well-oiled machine.

Verb

The parts of the engine have been precisely machined.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

That allowed a machine-learning system to master the language, and eventually every product description will be translated. — Eric Bellman, WSJ, "Amazon, to Win in Booming Rural India, Reinvents Itself," 31 Dec. 2018 For the delivery business, the biggest holdup is that the machines must remain within sight of the operator at all times. — Joseph Pisani, The Seattle Times, "Where are the drone deliveries? Amazon’s customers are still waiting," 3 Dec. 2018 Here, Paxton explains what went into playing her part, and how the film changed her opinion of the American political machine. — Adam Rathe, Town & Country, "The Front Runner's Sara Paxton on Playing Donna Rice and the Unfathomable Glare of Political Scandal," 6 Nov. 2018 The 360-degree rotating base has an adhesive back that sticks on to your machine right next to the door, and takes less than a minute to install. — Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, "This $20 Gadget Will Save Your Washing Machine From Mold," 12 Oct. 2018 In their new positions, Karow and Sorenson are to work together to manage HLI’s businesss strategy, such as how to incorporate genomics machine learning and clinical imaging to present maximum value to customers and to science in general. — Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Human Longevity names interim CEO," 13 July 2018 The result was the Toronto Declaration, which says companies need to make sure that machine learning does not extend discrimination. — Joseph Menn, The Christian Science Monitor, "Silicon Valley employees increasingly push companies on ethics," 13 July 2018 Chevy's Kentucky problem might not be its machines as much as the drivers piloting its competitors. — Jason Hoffman, Cincinnati.com, "Toyota owns Kentucky Speedway while Chevrolet finds itself chasing the Camry," 13 July 2018 The savings from using machine-learning software are often hard to predict. — The Economist, "Law firms climb aboard the AI wagon," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Duvets cannot be used without a duvet cover, and, unlike the cover, require dry cleaning as opposed to machine wash. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "The Ultimate Guide to the Duvet Cover," 11 Oct. 2018 The failure was traced back to a tiny pipe that was machined only slightly imprecisely. — Roma Agrawal, New York Times, "Under Modernity’s Hood: Precision Engineering," 14 May 2018 Directed by Gary Ross, who machined the script together with Olivia Milch (and the uncredited help of anyone who’s ever written a caper flick), the movie goes down relatively easy despite these nits. — Gary Ross, New York Times, "Review: ‘Ocean’s 8’ Women Walk Away With a Male Franchise. Sort Of.," 5 June 2018 Molds for climbing holds were machined by a CNC mill. — Jenny Earnest, Outside Online, "How Two Scientists Will Build Mountains," 30 Apr. 2018 In an effort to reduce weight and increase fuel economy, today's rotors are very thin and cannot be machined in most cases. — Bob Weber, chicagotribune.com, "Do drivers not use their blinkers anymore or are they low on blinker fluid?," 24 June 2017 What happened to rebuilding calipers and machining rotors? — Bob Weber, chicagotribune.com, "Do drivers not use their blinkers anymore or are they low on blinker fluid?," 24 June 2017 Most notably, The Field Company machined the cooking surface of their skillet to a high sheen so food is less likely to stick; a detail that helps with things like grabbing and flipping over-easy eggs. — Jakob Schiller, Outside Online, "The Field Skillet Is a Modern Spin on an Old Favorite," 20 Apr. 2018 But machining titanium cases proved tricky, as the resulting sparks had a tendency to combust. — Wei Koh, A-LIST, "How the Watch Industry Plundered the Periodic Table," 3 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'machine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.