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machine

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noun [countable] British English pronunciation: machine

/məˈʃiːn/

singular	machine
plural	machines

Other entries for this word

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Synonyms

1
a piece of equipment that does a particular job by using electricity, steam, gas etc
Sue showed him how to operate the machine.
by machine:
These companies do everything by machine these days.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
1. a.
  a computer
  Put the disk in your machine and click on the 'A' drive.
  Users will be able to upgrade their machines as necessary.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
2. b.
  an answering machine
  There's a message on the machine for you.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
3. c.
  a washing machine
  Is it okay to put this shirt in the machine?
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
4. d.
  a vending machine
  You can get a cup of coffee out of the machine.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
5. e.
  a cash machine
  He said the machine had swallowed his card.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
2
a person or animal that does something very effectively
a fighting/killing machine:
The lion is an efficient killing machine.
a well-oiled machine (=a group or system that works well and easily):
The team is a well-oiled machine right now.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
1. a.
  someone who works so hard at a particular activity that they have no time for other activities or for thoughts and feelings
  By the end of the evening I felt like a cooking machine.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
3
the people and things that are used for achieving a particular aim
the British war machine
a money/propaganda machine:
He criticized those who had turned politics into a 'money machine'.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
1. a.
  an organized system of people with power, especially in politics
  the government/party machine:
  The government machine moved swiftly to deny the allegations.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
4
informal a vehicle, especially a motorcycle
That's a mean machine (=a beautiful vehicle) you've got there.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine
5
physics a simple tool or piece of equipment that changes the size or direction of a force, for example a lever or a screw
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of machine

Synonyms: machine

Other ways of saying machine

device a small machine that has been designed to do something specific: a device for measuring the temperature inside and outside the house ♦ a safety/explosive device

appliance a machine that has a practical use in the home: household appliances such as cookers and dishwashers

gadget a small machine that does something useful, or is designed to do something useful but is in fact useless or unnecessary: a great little gadget that tells you when your egg is boiled

tool an instrument that you hold in your hand to do something physical: the set of tools he uses for repairing the car

equipment things that you use for doing a particular job or for a particular purpose: play/kitchen/diving/climbing equipment ♦ The gardeners had left a pile of equipment lying on the lawn.

implement a specially shaped object that you use for doing something specific: a cutting/writing implement

contraption a machine that is very complicated and looks rather strange: an odd contraption that he must have made himself

mechanism a part of a machine that does something specific, especially something that involves opening or closing: I tried to open it but the mechanism had jammed.

This is the British English definition of machine. View American English definition of machine.

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