machine (machines plural & 3rd person present) (machining present participle) (machined past tense & past participle )
1 n-count A machine is a piece of equipment which uses electricity or an engine in order to do a particular kind of work.
also by N
I put the coin in the machine and pulled the lever..., ...a color photograph of the sort taken by machine to be pasted in passports.
2 verb If you machine something, you make it or work on it using a machine.
usu passive
The material is machined in a factory... be V-ed
All parts are machined from top grade, high tensile aluminium. be V-ed from n
...machined brass zinc alloy gears. V-ed
machining n-uncount
...our machining, fabrication and finishing processes.
3 n-count You can use machine to refer to a large and well-controlled system or organization.
usu supp N
...Nazi Germany's military machine..., He has put the party publicity machine behind another candidate.
4 →
fruit machine →
sewing machine →
slot machine →
vending machine
answering machine (answering machines plural )An answering machine is the same as an answerphone. n-count
fruit machine (fruit machines plural )A fruit machine is a machine used for gambling. You put money into it and if a particular combination of symbols, especially fruit, appears, you win money.
(BRIT) n-count
in AM, use slot machine
life-support machine (life-support machines plural )A life-support machine is the equipment that is used to keep a person alive when they are very ill and cannot breathe without help.
(mainly BRIT) n-count
He is in a coma and on a life-support machine.
in AM, use respirator
machine code
Machine code is a way of expressing instructions and information in the form of numbers which can be understood by a computer or microchip. (COMPUTING) n-uncount
machine gun (machine guns plural ), machine-gun A machine gun is a gun which fires a lot of bullets one after the other very quickly. n-count
...a burst of machine-gun fire.
→
sub-machine gun
machine tool (machine tools plural )A machine tool is a machine driven by power that cuts, shapes, or finishes metal or other materials. n-count
pinball machine (pinball machines plural )A pinball machine is a games machine on which pinball is played. It consists of a sloping table with objects that a ball hits as it rolls down. n-count
rowing machine (rowing machines plural )A rowing machine is an exercise machine with moving parts which you move as if you were rowing a rowing boat. n-count
sewing machine (sewing machines plural )A sewing machine is a machine that you use for sewing. n-count
slot machine (slot machines plural )A slot machine is a machine from which you can get food or cigarettes or on which you can gamble. You make it work by putting coins into a slot. n-count
sub-machine gun (sub-machine guns plural ), sub-machine-gun, submachine gun A sub-machine gun is a light portable type of machine gun. n-count
vending machine (vending machines plural )A vending machine is a machine from which you can get things such as cigarettes, chocolate, or coffee by putting in money and pressing a button. n-count
washing machine (washing machines plural )A washing machine is a machine that you use to wash clothes in. n-count
