appliance

English

Etymology

Recorded since the 1560s. From the English apply +‎ -ance.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /əˈplaɪəns/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪəns

Noun

appliance (plural appliances)

  1. The act of applying; application.
  2. An implement, an instrument or apparatus designed (or at least used) as a means to a specific end (often specified).
  3. Specifically: A non-manual apparatus or device, powered electrically or by another small motor, used in homes to perform domestic functions (household appliance) and/or in offices.
  4. An attachment, some equipment (or - piece) to adapt another tool or machine to such specific purpose
    When the boy hid father's feared cane, his bum soon found out the hard way how many sturdy appliances at home can double as perfectly painful spanking appliance
  5. (obsolete) A compliance

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

References

  • Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967
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