machine

ma|chine1 [ mə`ʃin ] noun count ***

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.

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.

b ) an ANSWERING MACHINE:

There's a message on the machine for you.

c ) a WASHING MACHINE:

Is it okay to put this shirt in the machine?

d ) a VENDING MACHINE:

You can get a cup of coffee out of the machine.

e ) a CASH MACHINE:

He said the machine had swallowed his card.

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.

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 dishwashing machine.

3. ) the people and things used for achieving a particular aim:

a money/propaganda machine: He criticized those who had turned politics into a money machine.

the British war machine

a ) an organized system of people with power, especially in politics:

a political/party machine: The Democratic machine moved swiftly to deny the allegations.

4. ) INFORMAL a vehicle, especially a MOTORCYCLE:

That's a mean machine (=a beautiful vehicle) you've got there.

machine

ma|chine 2 [ mə`ʃin ] verb intransitive or transitive

1. ) to do something on a machine, especially to give metal, wood, or plastic a particular shape

2. ) to sew things using a machine