What does "machinery" mean?

1. (industrial equipment) a group of large machines used in a factory or for a specific type of work. 2. (moving parts) the internal parts of a machine that make it move and work. 3. (organizational systems) the systems, rules, or people that make a large organization or government function. 4. (literary devices) the special methods or characters an author uses to make a story work.

Is it correct to say "The factory bought many machineries."?

No — say "The factory bought a lot of machinery.". Machinery is an uncountable noun and does not have a plural form ending in -ies.

machinery

US //məˈʃinɝi// UK //məʃˈiːnəɹi// ma·chin·ery

1 industrial equipment (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a group of large machines used in a factory or for a specific type of work.

the machines of a particular kind or those used in a specific place, considered collectively. Uncountable in this sense.

Example

The farm uses heavy machinery to harvest the wheat in late summer.

Example

The factory floor was filled with heavy machinery, much of which had been imported from Germany to ensure the highest precision in manufacturing.
Pitfall

The factory bought many machineries.

The factory bought a lot of machinery.

Machinery is an uncountable noun and does not have a plural form ending in -ies.
2 moving parts (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Science

the internal parts of a machine that make it move and work.

the working parts of a machine or instrument. Often used to describe the internal mechanisms of a device.

Example

You can see the complex machinery inside the old clock through the glass.

Example

The engineer spent hours cleaning the delicate machinery of the watch, ensuring that every tiny gear could rotate without friction.

Show 2 more sensesShow fewer

3 organizational systems (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic Formal

the systems, rules, or people that make a large organization or government function.

the organized systems and procedures through which a complex organization or government operates.

Example

The machinery of government can be very slow when you need a quick answer.

Example

The administrative machinery of the university was so complex that even simple requests took months to process through the various committees.
4 literary devices (n.)
C2 Proficiency Literary Formal

the special methods or characters an author uses to make a story work.

the literary or dramatic devices used to move a plot forward or create a specific effect. Often refers to supernatural elements in classical poetry.

Example

The author uses the machinery of a ghost story to talk about real history.

Example

Critics praised the way the playwright handled the machinery of the plot, weaving together three separate storylines into a single, satisfying conclusion.

Origin

From machine + -ery. Compare French machinerie.