# machine

/məˈʃin/ (US) · /məʃˈiːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/machine
Updated: 2026-07-22

## Senses

### 1. mechanical device

noun · CEFR A1

a piece of equipment with moving parts that does a specific job, usually using electricity or an engine.

For teachers: an apparatus using mechanical power and having several parts, each with a definite function and together performing a particular task.

- The washing machine broke down yesterday, so I have to wash my clothes by hand.
- The factory floor was filled with heavy machines that cut and shaped steel plates with incredible precision.

### 2. a computer

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a computer or a piece of hardware.

For teachers: a computer or similar electronic processing device.

- I need to restart my machine because the software is running very slowly.
- The developer spent the afternoon configuring the virtual machine to mirror the production environment exactly.

### 3. efficient person or group

noun · CEFR B2 · Humorous · Informal

a person or an organisation that works very hard and very fast without showing emotion.

For teachers: a person or organisation that acts with the regularity, speed, or lack of emotion associated with a mechanical device.

- She is a machine in the gym; she never seems to get tired.
- The marketing department has become a well-oiled machine, producing high-quality content at an unprecedented rate.

### 4. political organisation

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a powerful group of people who control a political party or a city.

For teachers: an efficient and often cynical political organisation that controls votes and administrative appointments.

- The local political machine has controlled the city council for over thirty years.
- The candidate struggled to gain traction against the party machine, which had already decided on a preferred successor.

### 5. to shape with tools

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to make or shape something using a machine, especially out of metal.

For teachers: to shape, finish, or manufacture a component using machine-controlled tools, typically through subtractive processes like milling or turning.

- The engine parts are machined to be exactly the right size.
- Each aerospace component must be machined to extremely tight tolerances to ensure the safety of the aircraft.

## Examples

- The coffee machine is broken again.
- The factory replaced several manual assembly lines with a single machine that could package goods twice as fast.
- The political machine worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that every local precinct captain was aligned with the party's national platform before the convention began.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.