noun
machinery
muh-SHEE-nuh-ree
noun
1
Machines considered together, especially the equipment used in a factory or industry.
"The plant invested heavily in new machinery to increase output."
2
The system of parts or processes that make something work.
"Few people understand the machinery of government behind a single new law."
How to Use Machinery
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither physical machines as a group, or the underlying system that makes something function.
Common pairings
heavy machinery
the machinery of government
industrial machinery
Word Forms
machineries plural
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The plant invested heavily in new _____ to increase output.
Etymology
From machine + the suffix -ery, following the pattern of French machinerie.