simple machine
1
3.4
- noun
- /ˈsɪmpl məˈʃin/
- Specialized
:
máquina simple
- Primary students will have fun while learning about simple machines when they play three games that illustrate how gears function and levers.
- six simple machines
- learn about simple machines
- consider a simple machine
So that's stands up the whole early industrial economy of New England building these simple machines.
- So that's stands up the whole early industrial economy of New England building these simple machines.
Examples
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By looking at everyday items around my house and in the toolshed, students learn how simple machines work, and they better understand their value.
Academic text (2007) -
The Canada Science and Technology Museum offers educators lessons and activities to teach the basic principles of simple machines and how they function.
Academic text (2007) -
This is a simple machine.
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Consider a simple machine at rest:
Academic text (1997) -
One of the fundamental concerns of mechanics since the discovery of simple machines is the transport of mass.
Academic text (2010) -
Elementary students can complete experiments about simple machines to learn about six simple machines and their important attributes.
Academic text (2007) -
The classroom students create a blueprint to design and build their own cleanup machine using simple machines.
Academic text (2012) -
The VIVACE converter is a clean and simple machine that promises to provide cheap and plentiful electricity.
Academic text (2010) -
A lever is a type of simple machine that helps lift heavy objects with less effort.
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In science class, we built a simple machine using a pulley to lift books onto a shelf.
Synonyms
4
3.2
A machine with moving parts that does a particular job
Antonyms
How Complex
- Informal
- Specialized
1
4.3
∞
1.0
- Jargon
91
4.4
- Specialized
1
3.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a basic mechanical device' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'simple' (basic/not elaborate) with 'machine' (a device with moving parts), so a learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE. This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase common across languages and contexts (including basic physics), making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Simple machine comes from the idea of a very basic tool made of one main part, where simple means 'not many parts' and machine means 'tool'. Think of a lever or a pulley — each is one clear part that makes lifting or moving things easier, so simple machine now means a basic tool that 'helps' you do work.