machine

play

noun, often attributive ma·chine \ mə-ˈshēn \

Definition of machine

1 a 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 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

2 a :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

See machine defined for English-language learners

See machine defined for kids

Examples of machine in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of machine from the Web

More Machines Indian fertilizer makers are installing about 200,000 point of sale machines at retail outlets, according to Satish Chander, director general of the Fertiliser Association of India.

— pratik parija, Bloomberg.com, "Fertilizer Smugglers May Be Jobless After India Reforms Subsidy," 30 Aug. 2017
The disaster response fleet also includes an ice machine that can produce up to 10,000 pounds of ice a day.

— kelly mcbride, Cincinnati.com, "Matthew 25: Ministries mobilizes help after Harvey," 28 Aug. 2017
The boy was hit by a flaming stream of gasoline that shot out of the machine, his aunt told the Idaho Statesman.

— katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Idaho boy who survived ‘horribly bad days’ after lawnmower fire still fighting," 25 Aug. 2017
ABC News takes us to the electric Twitter machine for the opening salvos.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "The Republicans Are Their Own Worst Enemies," 24 Aug. 2017
TSA Transportation Security Officer Njeri Conner detected the firearm as his carry-on bag passed along the conveyor belt in the checkpoint X-ray machine, officials said.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Airline passenger tried to bring loaded .45 pistol onto Charlotte plane, TSA says," 24 Aug. 2017
The kitchen is visible just beyond the beer taps and espresso machine.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Gralehaus is one of the restaurants making Louisville shine | Review," 23 Aug. 2017
Most of hospice care is covered by Medicare, which pays for hospices to send nurses, aides, social workers and chaplains, as well as hospital beds, oxygen machines and medications to the home.

— melissa bailey, Kaiser Health News, "Dying At Home In An Opioid Crisis: Hospices Grapple With Stolen Meds," 22 Aug. 2017
Also, Cassini writes its final chapter, a skeptic grapples with her spiritual experiences and how scientists are using the atomic movie machine.

— Discover Magazine, "Table of Contents September 2017," 21 Aug. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of machine

Middle French, from Latin machina, from Greek mēchanē (Doric dialect machana), from mēchos means, expedient — more at may

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1545

See Words from the same year

machine Synonyms

Synonyms

engine, motor

Related Words

converter, transformer; appliance, mechanism; equipment, tool; mill

Other Mechanical Engineering Terms

centrifuge, differential, flange, lathe, linchpin, pinion, plenum, ratchet, traction

machine

verb

Definition of machine

machined; machining

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

—

machinability

or less commonly machineability play \-ˌshē-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

—

machinable

or less commonly machineable play \-ˈshē-nə-bəl\ adjective

See machine defined for English-language learners

Examples of machine in a Sentence

The parts of the engine have been precisely machined.

Recent Examples of machine from the Web

Making new pits involves melting, casting, and machining the plutonium, while assessing how well or poorly the pits are aging requires using various instruments to withdraw small pieces for detailed chemical and material analysis.

— r. jeffrey smith, Science | AAAS, "Safety problems at a Los Alamos laboratory," 30 June 2017
There also were what appeared to be silencers machined from pipe, a machete-like knife, rope, a Bible and a notebook containing writings that investigators were still trying to decipher, authorities said.

— CBS News, "Pasadena police stop leads to weapons cache discovery," 22 June 2017
Before deciding to give the world of machining a try, Naranjo researched the career in-depth, including reading comments from women in the field.

— donna kiesling, Post-Tribune, "Ivy Tech helps best friends start new careers," 1 June 2017
The New Troy, Mich., machining company supplies precision parts to clients including Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG, and exports to Mexico and Canada.

— daniel michaels, WSJ, "Foreign Robots Invade American Factory Floors," 26 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of machine

1853

Other Mechanical Engineering Terms

centrifuge, differential, flange, lathe, linchpin, pinion, plenum, ratchet, traction

MACHINE Defined for English Language Learners

machine

play

noun

Definition of machine for English Language Learners

: a piece of equipment with moving parts that does work when it is given power from electricity, gasoline, etc.
: a vehicle (such as a car or motorcycle)
: a person or group that does something efficiently, quickly, or repeatedly like a machine