machine

ma|chine¹ W1S1 [məˈʃi:n] n

[Date: 1500-1600; : Old French; Origin: Latin machina, from Greek mechane, from mechos 'way of doing things']

1.) a piece of equipment with moving parts that uses power such as electricity to do a particular job

washing/sewing etc machine

▪ Is the washing machine working now?

▪ Could you get me a coffee from the drinks machine ?

▪ The fax machine is broken.

switch/turn a machine on/off

▪ Turn the machine off before removing the cover.

by machine

▪ The letters are sorted by machine.

▪ Did you put my dirty shirts in the machine (=washing machine) ?

▪ I left a message for you on your machine (=telephone answering machine) .

▪ The machine wouldn't let me have any money (=cash machine) .

→↑answering machine, ↑cash machine, ↑vending machine

2.) a computer

▪ My machine's just crashed.

3.) a group of people who control and organize something - often used to show disapproval

▪ the ruthless bureaucrats of the party machine

▪ the government's propaganda machine

▪ the powerful American war machine

4.) informal a vehicle, especially a ↑motorbike

▪ Riders have to learn to handle their machines in all conditions.

▪ That's a mean machine (=very fast and attractive vehicle) you have there.

5.) a person or animal that does something very well or without having to think about it

▪ In the tiger, nature has produced the perfect hunting machine.

▪ I'm not a golfing machine. I make mistakes just like anyone else.

6.) someone who seems to behave like a machine and to have no feelings or thoughts

= ↑automaton

7.) a well-oiled machine

something that works very smoothly and effectively

▪ The office runs like a well-oiled machine.

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WORD CHOICE: machine, device, gadget, appliance

A machine is a piece of equipment that uses power to do a particular job. It is usually large and stays in the same place : a machine that sorts mail | a washing machine

You use the words device and gadget especially when you think the equipment is very cleverly designed. A device is a piece of equipment that does a particular job, for example takes measurements or controls the operation of a machine. It may use electrical power or be used by hand : a device for detecting blood alcohol levels from breath samples | a temperature control device

A gadget is a small piece of equipment that does something useful or impressive : one of those gadgets that sorts coins | kitchen gadgets

An appliance is a piece of electrical equipment used in your home such as a washing machine or fridge. This word is used especially by the companies that produce and sell them : the world's largest producer of household appliances | domestic appliances

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machine ²

machine² v [T]

1.) to fasten pieces of cloth together using a sewing machine

2.) to make or shape something using a machine