- machine
- noun1 piece of equipmentADJECTIVE▪ giant, great, huge, large, powerful▪ portable▪ automated, automatic, electronic▪ sophisticated▪ efficient▪ knitting, sewing, video, washing▪ answering, fax▪ ATM, cash▪ exercise, rowing▪ arcade, gaming, karaoke, pinball▪ coffee, espresso, ice, soda▪ vending▪ dialysis, kidney, life-support, MRI, ultrasound, X-ray▪
The crash victim is now on a life-support machine.
▪ votingVERB + MACHINE▪ operate, run, use, work▪ install, set up▪We've had a new washing machine installed.
▪ start, stop▪ plug in, unplug▪ power▪ create, invent▪ build, make▪ service▪ fix, repair▪ design▪The machine is designed to fit under a counter.
MACHINE + VERB▪ go, work▪Is the machine working again?
▪ break down, malfunction▪ run▪The machine runs on solar power.
▪ beep, hum, whirrMACHINE + NOUN▪ operator▪ parts▪ tool▪machine tools for making weapons
PREPOSITION▪ by machine▪The potatoes are planted by machine.
▪ in a/the machine▪Just put those clothes in the machine (= the washing machine).
▪ on a/the machine▪I make my own dresses on my sewing machine.
▪ machine for▪a machine for making coffee
PHRASES▪ a make of machine▪What make of machine are they using?
2 system/organizationADJECTIVE▪ party, political▪The independent candidates did not have the support of a party machine.
▪ marketing, propaganda, publicity▪ military, war▪the president's propaganda machine
▪ administrative, government, state (all esp. BrE)MACHINE + NOUN▪ politician, politicsPHRASES▪ a cog in the machine (figurative)▪Tired of being a tiny cog in a vast machine, he handed in his resignation.
▪ a well-oiled machine (figurative)▪The department ran like a well-oiled machine after the reorganization.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
