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machine
[ muh-sheen ]
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 sim·ple ma·chine. any of six or more elementary mechanisms, as the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, wedge, and inclined plane.
- Also called com·plex ma·chine. 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 the theater, for producing stage effects:
The ancient Greeks used a theatrical machine to lower actors onto the stage.
- some agency, personage, incident or other feature introduced for effect into a literary composition.
verb (used with object)
- to make, prepare, or finish with a machine or with machine tools.
machine
/ məˈʃiːn /
noun
- an assembly of interconnected components arranged to transmit or modify force in order to perform useful work
- Also calledsimple 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)
machine
- 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.
Derived Forms
- maˌchinaˈbility, noun
- maˈchineless, adjective
- maˈchinable, adjective
- maˈchine-ˌlike, adjective
Other Word Forms
- ma·chine·less adjective
- an·ti·ma·chine adjective
- un·ma·chined adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of machine1
Example Sentences
Her right hand, fingers curled, rests on the infernal machine, while her left hand is open on the windowsill.
She said she was keen to take part in the race as she had always been "a bit of a machine" when it came to flatpack furniture.
They have built a campaigning machine, a brand, and a platform at breakneck speed with lots of money to spend.
"I was a small cog in a big machine. I didn't even tell my husband about my job until years later."
He was more than a cog in the machine; his technical quality on the ball set the tone for his teams as much as his tenacity without possession.
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