Adjacent Words

Appliance definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

APPLI'ANCE, n. The act of applying, or thing applied. Obs.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a device or control that is very useful for a particular job [syn: appliance, contraption, contrivance, convenience, gadget, gizmo, gismo, widget]
2: durable goods for home or office use

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1561 1. an act of applying 2. a. a piece of equipment for adapting a tool or machine to a special purpose ; attachment b. an instrument or device designed for a particular use or function <an orthodontic appliance>; specifically a household or office device (as a stove, fan, or refrigerator) operated by gas or electric current c. British fire engine 3. obsolete compliance Synonyms: see implement

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a device or piece of equipment used for a specific task. Etymology: APPLY + -ANCE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Appliance Ap*pli"ance, n. 1. The act of applying; application; [Obs.] subservience. --Shak. 2. The thing applied or used as a means to an end; an apparatus or device; as, to use various appliances; a mechanical appliance; a machine with its appliances.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(appliances) 1. An appliance is a device or machine in your home that you use to do a job such as cleaning or cooking. Appliances are often electrical. (FORMAL) He could also learn to use the vacuum cleaner, the washing machine and other household appliances. N-COUNT 2. The appliance of a skill or of knowledge is its use for a particular purpose. These advances were the result of the intellectual appliance of science. N-SING: usu N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Application, applying, use, exercise, practice. 2. Tool, instrument, appurtenance, appendage, adjunct. 3. Expedient, means, instrumentality, resource.

Moby Thesaurus

Charlie McCarthy, accommodation, accouterments, active use, advantage, agent, amenity, ancilla, apparatus, appliances, application, appointments, appurtenance, appurtenances, armament, brassware, chinaware, clayware, consumption, contrivance, convenience, conveniences, copperware, creature, device, dinnerware, drive, duffel, dummy, dupe, durable goods, durables, earthenware, employ, employment, enamelware, equipage, equipment, exercise, exertion, facilities, facility, fittings, fixture, fixtures, flatware, furnishings, furniture, gear, glassware, go-between, good use, graniteware, handmaid, handmaiden, hard goods, hard usage, hard use, hardware, hollow ware, housefurnishings, housewares, ill use, impedimenta, implement, installations, instrument, interagent, intermediary, intermediate, intermedium, ironmongery, ironware, kit, kitchenware, lever, machine, machinery, materiel, mechanical aid, mechanical device, mechanism, mediator, medium, metalware, midwife, minion, misuse, motive power, motor, munition, munitions, operation, organ, outfit, ovenware, paraphernalia, pawn, plant, play, plaything, plumbing, power plant, power source, puppet, rig, rigging, rough usage, servant, silverware, slave, sporting goods, stock-in-trade, stoneware, stooge, tableware, tackle, things, tinware, tool, tools and machinery, toy, usage, use, using up, utensils, utility, vehicle, white goods, woodenware, wrong use