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sewing machine

sewing machine

24 2.2
A machine that joins cloth or leather with thread
  • noun
  • /ˈsoʊɪŋ məˌʃin/
translation icon : máquina de coser
  • And the computer tells the sewing machine where to put the stitch.

My third sewing machine, well, it might just be my last.

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Examples

  • For two full years, he worked as a sewing machine operator.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • It's right next to the sewing machine.

  • She's got an electric sewing machine, and she makes all kinds of things.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • "Come in, dear," Aunt Bess said, sitting at her huge black sewing machine.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • One day at a yard sale, she buys a sewing machine, though she's never used one.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • In the corner of the hall stood the sewing machine, covered with a white, embroidered cloth.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Papa worked at his sewing machine for several afternoons, fashioning this festive garment.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Women are seated behind large sewing machines, stitching houndstooth seat covers for automobiles.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • She enjoys making clothes using her new sewing machine.

  • After learning the basics, I quickly became proficient at operating the sewing machine.

Synonyms

stitcher
vssewing machine
1 3.4

A person or machine that sews pieces of cloth together

is the machine term used especially for household and garment work
serger
vssewing machine
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A sewing machine that trims and finishes fabric edges to stop them fraying

is a general home machine for many garment tasks, not only edge work
overlock
vssewing machine
  • UK
1 7.8

A sewing machine that trims and sews fabric edges to stop them coming apart

is a general home machine for many stitching tasks, not only edge finishing
overlocker
vssewing machine
  • UK
7.5

A sewing machine that trims and sews fabric edges to stop fraying

is the general household appliance for stitching fabrics beyond edge binding
blind stitch machine
vssewing machine
  • Specialized
7.5

A sewing machine that joins fabric so the thread is not seen on the outside of clothes

is a general home machine used for many visible and structural sewing tasks
buttonhole machine
vssewing machine
  • Specialized
5.1

A sewing machine that sews small openings for buttons in clothes

is a versatile household appliance for general garment construction, not only button openings
quilter
vssewing machine
  • Specialized
6.6

A machine that stitches the layers of a quilt together

is a general household machine for garment and fabric work, not specialized quilting

How Powerful

gig-mill
  • Archaic
9.9
sewing machine
24 2.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

sewing + machine

The meaning 'a machine used for sewing' is directly and transparently derivable from 'sewing' (the process of joining with needle and thread) + 'machine' (a powered device). This head–modifier compound follows a common, cross-linguistic noun formation pattern and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Sewing machine: The name sewing machine comes from the parts sewing (stitching cloth) and machine (a tool that does work). Early machines copied a person's hand movements so they could stitch faster, so the name simply means 'a machine for sewing'.