Machinery

(mechanical engineering) A group of parts or machines arranged to perform a useful function.

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A group of parts arranged to perform a useful function. Normally some of the parts are capable of motion; others are stationary and provide a frame for the moving parts. The terms machine and machinery are so closely related as to be almost synonymous; however, machinery has a plural implication, suggesting more than one machine. Common examples of machinery include automobiles, clothes washers, and airplanes; machinery differs greatly in number of parts and complexity.

Some machinery simply provides a mechanical advantage for human effort. Other machinery performs functions that no human being can do for long-sustained periods. See also Machine; Mechanical engineering; Simple machine.