Word of the Day
31 March 2026
machine tool
nounMachining
A tool, typically a power-driven machine and typically stationary, used especially for machining (removing hard material via cutting, grinding, or other subtractive processes) and (more broadly) for any mix of subtractive, forming/stamping, or additive work.
Why this one
The category line is guidance, not power: a machine tool holds and steers the cutter against the work with a rigid frame, which is why a drill press counts and a cordless drill in your hand does not.
In use
Anything with a spindle and a way on it lives in bay three, that's where we keep every machine tool in the shop.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.