Skip to main content
coin machine

coin machine

1 3.0
A device you use by putting coins into it to get a service
  • noun
translation icon : máquina de monedas
  • We have washed the smart a few times at the coin machine.

Examples

  • A coin machine at 3 o'clock in the morning?

  • Do you know where we can find a coin machine to cash in the change?

  • We got these coin machines.

  • The last time, I was trying to get feed from a coin machine, and the asshole kept attacking me.

    Blog text (14)
  • Beside her were rows of coin machines.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • There, only a couple of angle brackets and a few ordinary screws hold the coin machine in place.

    Academic text (2005)
  • You can exchange your coins for cash by using the coin machine at the grocery store.

  • I found a coin machine in the mall that lets you exchange loose change for bills.

  • Before heading home, we stopped at a coin machine to turn in our change for some cash.

Synonyms

vending machine
vscoin machine
56 1.9

A machine that sells snacks or drinks when you put money in

is broader, used for many services rather than only selling goods
slot machine
vscoin machine
  • US
25 3.3

A machine in a casino where you put coins and spin pictures to try to win money

is broader, used for many services rather than gambling
pinball machine
vscoin machine
8 3.0

A coin-operated game with a tilted table where flippers keep a metal ball moving to score points

is broader, used for many services rather than recreation

Surface Forms

coin machine singular
coin machines plural

Morphology

coin + machine

The meaning 'a machine operated by inserting a coin' is directly derivable from combining 'coin' (small round currency) with 'machine' (a device), forming a straightforward noun–noun compound. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows transparent English word-formation, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand the MWE.

Etymology

The name coin machine comes from a simple, literal image: a machine that only starts when you put a coin into a slot, like old vending or laundry machines. That's why coin machine means a device you make work by inserting money today.