Dictionary:

machine

  (mə-shēn')

1. 1. A device consisting of fixed and moving parts that modifies mechanical energy and transmits it in a more useful form.
   2. A simple device, such as a lever, a pulley, or an inclined plane, that alters the magnitude or direction, or both, of an applied force; a simple machine.
2. A system or device for doing work, as an automobile or a jackhammer, together with its power source and auxiliary equipment.
3. A system or device, such as a computer, that performs or assists in the performance of a human task: The machine is down.
4. An intricate natural system or organism, such as the human body.
5. A person who acts in a rigid, mechanical, or unconscious manner.
6. An organized group of people whose members are or appear to be under the control of one or more leaders: a political machine.
7. 1. A device used to produce a stage effect, especially a mechanical means of lowering an actor onto the stage.
   2. A literary device used to produce an effect, especially the introduction of a supernatural being to resolve a plot.
8. An answering machine: Leave a message on my machine if I'm not home.

Of, relating to, or felt to resemble a machine: machine repairs; machine politics.

To cut, shape, or finish by machine.

To be cut, shaped, or finished by machine: This metal machines easily.

[French, from Old French, from Latin māchina, from Greek mākhanā, dialectal variant of mēkhanē.]

A combination of rigid or resistant bodies having definite motions and capable of performing useful work. The term mechanism is closely related but applies only to the physical arrangement that provides for the definite motions of the parts of a machine. For example, a wristwatch is a mechanism, but it does no useful work and thus is not a machine. Machines vary widely in appearance, function, and complexity from the simple hand-operated paper punch to the ocean liner, which is itself composed of many simple and complex machines. See also Machinery; Simple machine.

Any electronic or electromechanical unit of equipment. A machine is always hardware; however, "engine" refers to hardware or software.

Those who control the mass organization of a political party within a locality. The word was given its sinister connotations from its first use in the United States in the late nineteenth century. It was used to describe urban groups in which politicians solicited votes and delivered favours in return. The favours might be jobs, welfare, or (in the upper reaches) contracts. The machine is wittily described by one of its bosses in W. L. Riordon (ed.), Plunkitt of Tammany Hall (1905). The machine survived attacks on it by the Progressives but had died out even in Chicago by the 1970s.

The term was also applied to Joseph Chamberlain's machine in late nineteenth-century Birmingham, and entrenched Labour Party machines in some cities in the twentieth century. These, too, have disappeared.

For more information on machine, visit Britannica.com.

A device that helps to perform work. Machines use energy in one form, modify it, and deliver it in a form more suited to its desired purpose. A simple lever can be regarded as a machine.

Simple machines are devices that do nothing but change the direction, duration, or size of a force. The single pulley is the dullest simple machine, changing only direction. Most other simple machines are variations on the lever or the inclined plane -- for example, the wheel and axle (or crank handle) is a rotary lever, the wedge is a pair of inclined planes, and the screw is a helical inclined plane.

Which simple machines were used by early humans? The earliest stone tool is a form of wedge, as are most stone tools. The handle of an axe or hammer is a form of lever, so hafted axe heads (in use by the middle of the Old Stone Age) qualify as simple machines. Other early evidence of thoughtful use of simple machines before Neolithic times is hard to come by. However, it is easy to believe, although difficult to prove, that early humans used levers to turn or lift heavy objects.

An important application of the lever from about 15,000 bp is the spear thrower, or atlatl, an extension of the human arm used to translate a small motion near the shoulder into a large motion near the end of the spear thrower. Since the time of the motion does not change while the length of the motion increases, the result is a higher velocity for the spear thrown. The higher velocity gives the spear greater momentum, useful either for distance or for penetrating power.

Perhaps the most sophisticated simple machine is the compound pulley, in which mechanical advantage is cleverly obtained with no visible levers. The compound pulley appears to have been invented in Hellenistic times, about 200 bce.

This article is about devices that perform tasks. For other uses, see Machine (disambiguation).

Wind turbines

The scientific definition of a machine (derived from the latin machina) is any device that transmits or modifies particles. In common usage, the meaning is restricted to devices having rigid moving parts that perform or assist in performing some work. Machines normally require some energy source ("input") and always accomplish some sort of work ("output"). Devices with no rigid moving parts are commonly considered tools, or simply devices, not machines.

People have used mechanisms to amplify their abilities since before written records were available. Generally these devices decrease the amount of force required to do a given amount of work, alter the direction of the force, or transform one form of motion or energy into another.

The mechanical advantage of a simple machine is the ratio between the force it exerts on the load and the input force applied. This does not entirely describe the machine's performance, as force is required to overcome friction as well. The mechanical efficiency of a machine is the ratio of the actual mechanical advantage (AMA) to the ideal mechanical advantage (IMA). Functioning physical machines are always less than 100% efficient.

Modern power tools, automated machine tools, and human-operated power machinery are tools that are also machines. Machines used to transform heat or other energy into mechanical energy are known as engines.

Hydraulics devices may also be used to support industrial applications, although devices entirely lacking rigid moving parts are not commonly considered machines. Hydraulics are widely used in heavy equipment industries, automobile industries, marine industries, aeronautical industries, construction equipment industries, and earthmoving equipment industries.

Types of machines and other devices

Types of machines and other devices

Simple machines	Inclined plane, Wheel and axle, Lever, Pulley, Wedge, Screw
Mechanical components	Gear, Rope, Spring, Wheel, Axle, Bearings, Belts, Seals, Roller chains, Link chains, Rack and pinion, Fastener, Key
Clock	Atomic clock, Chronometer, Pendulum clock, Quartz clock
Compressors and Pumps	Archimedes screw, Eductor-jet pump, Hydraulic ram, Pump, Tuyau, Vacuum pump
Heat engines	External combustion engines	Steam engine, Stirling engine
	Internal combustion engines	Reciprocating engine, Wankel engine, Jet engine, Rocket, gas turbine
Linkages	Pantograph,Peaucellier-Lipkin
Turbine	Gas turbine, Jet engine, Steam turbine, Water turbine, Wind generator, Windmill (Air turbine)
Airfoil	Sail, Wing, Rudder, Flap, Propeller
Electronic machines	Computing machines	Calculator, Computer, Analog computer
	Electronics	Transistor, Diode, Capacitor, Resistor, Inductor
Biological machines	Virus, Bacterium, Cell (biology), Plant and animal, DNA computers, Human being
Miscellaneous	Robot, Vending machine, Wind tunnel

References

1. Oberg, Erik; Franklin D. Jones, Holbrook L. Horton, and Henry H. Ryffel (2000). in ed. Christopher J. McCauley, Riccardo Heald, and Muhammed Iqbal Hussain: Machinery's Handbook, 26th edition, New York: Industrial Press Inc.. ISBN 0-8311-2635-3. 

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - maskine, automat, maskineri
v. tr. - bearbejde, forarbejde, fabrikere
v. intr. - bearbejde, forarbejde
adj. - maskinelt

idioms:

• life-support machine    respirator, hjerte-lungemaskine
• machine code    maskinkode
• machine gun    maskingevær
• machine language    maskinsprog
• machine tool    værktøjsmaskine

Nederlands (Dutch)
machine, voertuig (m.n. auto), apparaat, toneelmachine, levend organisme, systeem in levend organisme, organisatie, literair hulpmiddel, machinaal bewerken

Français (French)
n. - machine, (fig) machine
v. tr. - (Ind) usiner, façonner, coudre, ou piquer (à la machine)
v. intr. - (Ind) usiner, façonner, coudre, ou piquer (à la machine)
adj. - façonné, en usine, d'usine

idioms:

• life-support machine    système/appareil de respiration artificielle
• machine code    (Comput) code machine
• machine gun    mitrailleuse
• machine language    (Comput) langage machine
• machine tool    machine-outil

Deutsch (German)
n. - Maschine, Apparat
adj. - Maschinen...
v. - maschinell herstellen, maschinell bearbeiten, mit der Maschine nähen

idioms:

• life-support machine    lebenserhaltende Maschine
• machine code    (Comp.) Maschinensprache
• machine gun    Maschinengewehr
• machine language    (Comp.) Maschinensprache
• machine tool    Werkzeugmaschine

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - μηχανή, μηχάνημα, μηχανισμός
adj. - μηχανικός, της μηχανής

idioms:

• life-support machine    μηχανική στήριξη ζωής
• machine code    (Η/Υ) κώδικας μηχανής
• machine gun    (στρατ.) πολυβόλο
• machine language    (Η/Υ) γλώσσα μηχανής
• machine tool    εργαλειομηχανή, μηχανικό εργαλείο

Italiano (Italian)
macchina, apparecchio, dispositivo

idioms:

• machine code    linguaggio di computer
• machine gun    mitragliatrice
• machine language    linguaggio di computer
• machine tool    macchina utensile

Português (Portuguese)
n. - máquina (f), autômato (m), automóvel (m)
adj. - mecânico

idioms:

• life-support machine    equipamento que mantém a pessoa viva (m)
• machine code    código de máquina (m) (Comp.)
• machine gun    metralhadora (f)
• machine language    linguagem de máquina (f) (Comp.)
• machine tool    máquina operatriz (f) (Comp.)

Русский (Russian)
машина, механизм, станок, транспортное средство, обрабатывать на станке

idioms:

• life-support machine    система поддержания жизнедеятельности организма
• machine code    язык программирования, который определенный тип компьютера может читать
• machine gun    пулемет, вести огонь из пулемета
• machine language    машинный язык
• machine tool    станок

Español (Spanish)
n. - máquina, motor, locomotora, aparato, tramoya, maquinaria, mecanismo, máquina expendedora
v. tr. - trabajar a máquina, tornear
v. intr. - trabajar a máquina
adj. - de máquina o motor

idioms:

• life-support machine    sistema de respiración artificial
• machine code    código de máquina
• machine gun    ametralladora
• machine language    lenguaje de computadora
• machine tool    máquina herramienta

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - maskin, maskineri
adj. - maskinell

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
机器, 计算机, 机械, 汽车, 以机器制造, 用机器加工, 机器的, 机械的, 机器加工的, 机器制造的

idioms:

• life-support machine    航天员等的生命维持系统, 生命保障系统
• machine code    机器代码
• machine gun    机关枪
• machine language    机械语言, 计算机语言, 实体指示
• machine tool    机床, 工具机

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 機器, 電腦, 機械, 汽車
v. tr. - 以機器製造
v. intr. - 用機器加工
adj. - 機器的, 機械的, 機器加工的, 機器製造的

idioms:

• life-support machine    太空人等的生命維持系統, 生命保障系統
• machine code    機器代碼
• machine gun    機關槍
• machine language    機械語言, 電腦語言, 實體指示
• machine tool    機床, 工具機

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 기계, 기계적으로 일하는 사람
v. tr. - ~을 기계로 만들다, ~을 재봉틀에 걸다, ~을 규격화하다
v. intr. - 기계로 절단될 수 있다
adj. - 기계의, 기계적인, 간부에 의한, 흑막의

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 機械, 自動車, 黒幕, 幹部グループ, 組織, 機械のような人間
v. - 機械で作る, 印刷機にかける

idioms:

• answering machine    留守番電話
• dictating machine    口述録音機
• life-support machine    生命維持装置
• machine code    マシンコード, 機械語
• machine gun    機関銃
• machine language    機械語
• machine tool    工作機械

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) آله (صفه) آلي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מכונה, רובוט, מנגנון (של אירגון), אוטומט המופעל ע"י מטבע, אדם הפועל מכנית, ללא רגשות‬
v. tr. - ‮ייצר במכונה‬
v. intr. - ‮תיקן או תגמר במכונה‬
adj. - ‮מכני‬

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