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an -ssemblage of or mechanical apparatuses:
the machinery of a factory.
the parts of a , collectively:
the machinery of a watch.
a group of people or a system by which action is maintained or by which some result is obtained:
the machinery of government.
a group of contrivances for producing stage effects.
the group or aggregate of literary , especially those of supernatural agency (epic machinery) in an epic poem.
contemporary examples

with this kind of volume, the machinery of deportation is overwhelmed at every stage, especially our immigration courts.
supreme court immigration ruling in arizona v. u.s. got it backward robert m. morgenthau july 10, 2012

the machinery of home sales, mortgage financings, and stock trading has ground to a halt.
the economic losses from superstorm sandy continue to mount matthew zeitlin october 31, 2012

obama responded appropriately—by slowing down the machinery.
the hotspots no speech can fix leslie h. gelb september 22, 2009

other p-ssages in the film are more about doc-menting the machinery itself, and its insanely m-ssive construction.
railroaded by richard serra blake gopnik april 23, 2013

they use our machinery to rev up from a pinch to a zillion, then go off to get the next guy.
norovirus unleashes its misery early, at home and at sea kent sepkowitz december 14, 2012

historical examples

this machinery was quickened and rendered effective by the new motor.
the evolution of modern capitalism john atkinson hobson

as yet the use of machinery and artificial manure is almost unknown.
the roof of france matilda betham-edwards

and camons, as observed in the preface, has twice -sserted that his machinery is allegorical.
the lusiad lus de cames

it always seemed to me as though she were stuffed, and as though she moved by machinery.
my double life sarah bernhardt

go ahead, bob, and get something ready while ned and i take a look around the machinery and see if its working all right.
the motor boys over the ocean clarence young

noun (pl) -eries
machines, machine parts, or machine systems collectively
a particular machine system or set of machines
a system similar to a machine: the machinery of government
literary devices used for effect in epic poetry
n.

1680s; from machine (n.) + -ery. originally theatrical, “devices for creating stage effects” (which also was a sense of greek mekhane); meaning “machines collectively” is attested from 1731. middle english had machinament “a contrivance” (early 15c.).

noun

a drug user’s paraphernalia; artillery (1940s+ narcotics)
the male genitals: you could see the bulge of his machinery there at the crotch (1980s+)