sewing machine

noun

1. any of various foot-operated or electric machines for sewing or making stitches, ranging from machines with a shuttle for a spool of thread and a needle for sewing garments to industrial machines for sewing leather, book pages together, etc.

sewing machine

noun

1. any machine designed to sew material. It is now usually driven by electric motor but is sometimes operated by a foot treadle or by hand

Word History and Origins

Origin of sewing machine¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

She searched for work, but said nobody wanted to hire an older woman who had limited use of her left shoulder after so many years of sitting hunched over sewing machines.

From Los Angeles Times

Describing a typical day on 1 July 2022, he wrote: "At work, you sit for seven hours at the sewing machine on a stool below knee height."

From BBC

Close by, another puja creates a tableau of the bereaved family, the mother sitting on the bed, the father at a sewing machine, their daughter’s picture in doctor’s scrubs on the wall.

From BBC

A large quantity of Griff's blood was found inside Patti's sewing machine, with the cover replaced - part of a left thumbprint found in blood on the cover was never identified.

From BBC

The living room where he sat was cluttered with tools from his profession - a sewing machine, spools of thread and a heavy iron.

From BBC