A machine is 

a physical device that actively performs work. This can be

contrasted with an entity that passively performs work such as a
drainage pipe. A machine uses power but isn't necessarily electrical. For
example, machines can be powered by wind, water, thermal, chemical or

human power.O
 

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machine

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Grammar English–Spanish Spanish–English

Meaning of machine in English

 

machine
noun [ C ]
US 
 /məˈʃiːn/ UK 
 /məˈʃiːn/
machine noun [C] (PIECE OF EQUIPMENT)
 
A2
a piece of equipment with several moving parts that uses power to do
a particular type of work:
The different sizes of eggs are sorted by a machine.
If I'm not home when you call, leave a message on the
machine (= answering machine).
Don't forget to put the towels in the machine (= washing machine) before you
go out.
I got some chocolate from a vending machine.
 More examples
 Doctors kept him alive on a life-support machine.
 There is a vending machine on the platform that dispenses snacks.
 The machine emits a high-pitched sound when you press the button.
 This sewing machine is operated by a foot pedal.
 I need some coins for the ticket machine in the car park.
 SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
 
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machine noun [C] (COMPUTER)
 
a computer:
You'll need a powerful machine for editing videos.
 SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

machine noun [C] (VEHICLE)
 
informal
a vehicle, often a motorcycle:
approving That's a mean (= powerful) machine you've got there, Bill.
 SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

machine noun [C] (GROUP OF PEOPLE)
 
a group of people who control and organize something:
Churchill's war machine
The party machine has swung into action with its preparation for the election.
It's now up to the government's propaganda machine to restore the
leader's image.
 SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
 

machine
verb [ T ]
US 
 /məˈʃiːn/ UK 
 /məˈʃiːn/
 
to sew cloth with a sewing machine:
I'm almost finished making the curtains - I just have to machine the hem.
 
to cut or shape metal on a machine:
Tungsten carbide tools are used extensively for machining steel.
 SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

(Definition of  machine  from the  Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus  ©

Cambridge University Press)

machine | INTERMEDIATE ENGLISH

machine
noun [ C ]
US 
 /məˈʃin/
 
a device with moving parts that uses power to do work of a particular type:
a sewing/washing machine
an answering machine
 
POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
A machine is also a group of people who control a political organization:
He was a product of an old-line party machine.

(Definition of  machine  from the  Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary  © Cambridge

University Press)

machine | BUSINESS ENGLISH

machine
noun [ C ]
UK 
 /məˈʃiːn/ US 
 
PRODUCTION
a piece of equipment with moving parts that uses power to do
a particular type of work:
The machines were designed to make bottles from recycled plastic.
operate/use a machine Now only a
few people are required to operate the computerized machines.
install/service a
machine Soft drink companies began installing vending machines in schools.
Is the machine working again?
a machine breaks down The machine broke down and we had
to call someone to come and mend it.
a washing/sewing/copying machine Slowly feed the paper into
the copying machine.
a machine for (doing) sth He invented a machine for setting type.
They use a special machine to scan the bone.
by machine The votes are counted by machine.
a machine operator/maker
 
IT
a computer:
You'll need a powerful machine for editing videos.
Most machines running these programs have poor network connections.
 
a group of people who control and organize something:
political/publicity machine The publicity machine will not quit when
the book tour grinds to a halt.
The hard left wanted ministers to be accountable to the party machine.
His business empire has grown into a well-oiled machine.
See also
answering machine
automated teller machine
cancellation machine
cash machine
dictation machine
fax
franking machine
mailing machine
tape machine
ticker-tape machine
 View all
 

machine
verb [ T ]
UK 
 /məˈʃiːn/ US 
 
PRODUCTION
to make or change the shape of something using a machine:
Each hole has to be accurately machined.
The sides are carefully machined to fit the cylinders.
 (Definition of  machine  from the  Cambridge Business English Dictionary  © Cambridge

University Press)

EXAMPLES OF MACHINE
machine
He had his own public relations machine, which sent e-mails to anyone willing to receive
them.
From  Foreign Policy

That machine allowed me to stay in business for the last 40 years.

From  Dallas Morning News

He said the company's machines shouldn't be singled out.

From  MLive.com

Who needs to waste brain space with spelling when a machine can do that for us?
From  CNN

It said that this machine could help adults who didn't know how to read.
From  Huffington Post

At the time, it was one of the faster machines in the world.

From  Ars Technica

To his surprise, the children quickly figured out how to use the machine.
From  Wired

But they also felt very strongly about the difference between man and machines.
From  Wired

I think of her as a producing machine that brings babies in the world.

From  Hollywood Reporter

It's not quite that the machines are taking over, but they are sentient.
From  Slate Magazine

She doesn't have a college degree, and she doesn't need one to operate her machine.
From  NPR

This will be as accurate as those exercise machines that do not ask how much you
weigh.
From  CNN

We save time for people who want to code and provide them with multiple ways to
connect to a development machine.
From  TechCrunch

If the vending machine is networked, they can check filling levels remotely and thereby
reduce filling and maintenance costs significantly.
From  Wired
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the
examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of
Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

COLLOCATIONS WITH MACHINE
machine
These are words often used in combination with machine.
Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.
adding machine
Since adding machines are minimal, such an adding machine has to be equal to the
closure of the trajectory of the turning point.
From the Cambridge English Corpus 

automated machine
There is, therefore, a considerable market for automated machine tools and for
automated machinery for steel works and for railways.
From the 
Hansard archive
 

automatic machine
Finally, there is the possibility of explicit, formally specified semantics that are intended
for automatic machine processing.
From the Cambridge English Corpus 

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the
examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of
Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
See all collocations with machine

Translations of machine
in Chinese (Traditional)
機器, 機械裝置, 電腦…
See more
in Chinese (Simplified)
机器, 机械装置, 计算机…
See more
in Spanish
máquina, ordenador, máquina [feminine…
See more
in Portuguese
máquina, computador, máquina [feminine]…
See more
in more languages
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machine carding
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machine element BETA
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More meanings of machine

 All
 ATM
 fax
 answering machine
 automated teller machine
  cash machine
 machine gun
 sewing machine
See all meanings
 Idioms and phrases
 
WORD OF THE DAY
continent
UK 
 /ˈkɒn.tɪ.nənt/
 
US 
 /ˈkɑːn.t̬ ən.ənt/
one of the seven large land masses on the earth's surface, surrounded, or mainly
surrounded, by sea and usually consisting of various countries

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