Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An appliance or device for a particular purpose.
  • noun An integrated group of materials or devices used for a particular purpose: synonym: equipment.
  • noun The totality of means by which a designated function is performed or a specific task executed, as in a system of government.
  • noun A political organization or an underground political movement.
  • noun Physiology A group or system of organs that collectively perform a specific function or process.
  • noun The critical and source material, usually including notes and a glossary, that accompanies a scholarly edition of a text.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • An equipment of things provided and adapted as means to some end; especially, a collection, combination, or set of machinery, tools, instruments, utensils, appliances, or materials intended, adapted, and necessary for the accomplishment of some purpose, such as mechanical work, experimenting, etc.: as, chemical, philosophical, or surgical apparatus.
  • Specifically— In physiology, a collection of organs which, though differing in structure, all minister to the same function: as, the respiratory apparatus; the digestive apparatus.
  • A collection of materials for any literary work: as, critical apparatus for the study of the Greek text of the New Testament.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Things provided as means to some end.
  • noun Hence: A full collection or set of implements, or utensils, for a given duty, experimental or operative; any complex instrument or appliance, mechanical or chemical, for a specific action or operation; machinery; mechanism.
  • noun (Physiol.) A collection of organs all of which unite in a common function.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The entirety of means whereby a specific production is made existent or task accomplished.
  • noun A complex machine or instrument.
  • noun An assortment of tools or instruments.
  • noun A bureaucratic organization, especially one influenced by political patronage.
  • noun firefighting A vehicle used for emergency response.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun equipment designed to serve a specific function
  • noun (anatomy) a group of body parts that work together to perform a given function

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin apparātus, preparation, from past participle of apparāre, to prepare : ad-, ad- + parāre, to prepare; see perə- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin apparātus

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word apparatus.

Examples

  • WORD CORRECT PRONUNCIATION alma mater _alma mater_ apparatus _apparatus_ apricot _apricot_ attaché _attasha'_ audacious _audashus_ ballet _bal'la_ blasé _blaza'_ blatant _blatant_ chasten _chasen_

    Practical Grammar and Composition Thomas Wood

  • The wealth of detail in the charting of the universe carried out in recent years with this apparatus is absolutely unique.

    Press Release: The 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics 1974

  • I realize that this kind of apparatus is usually reserved for "classic" works intended for classroom use, but I don't think we can pretend that translations shorn of such support are sufficient for presenting the work, poetry or fiction, of translated authors, especially authors to whom we come completely unfamiliar.

    Translated Texts 2010

  • Having wired Sola with complex responses — the apparatus is supposed to react in particular ways, immediately upon perceiving his telepathically projected emotions — the mad scientist invites a group of colleagues over to dinner.

    ‘the curious fusion of sex, technology, and death’ « Gerry Canavan 2009

  • Whatever the point of view on the crops themselves, there are many people on both sides of the debate who say that the current U.S. regulatory apparatus is ill-equipped to adequately address the concerns.

    Are Regulators Dropping The Ball On Biocrops? | Impact Lab 2010

  • The Federal Court system is the main apparatus for issues affecting the nation. if McCain and all the other GOP chickenhawks (ok Mccain isnt a chickenhawk, he actually served and should be honored for that) think this nation is led by the military, then they should move to Myanmar or North Korea, it may be more to their way of thinking

    McCain blasts decision on terror suspects 2009

  • This attack demonstrates that our security apparatus is focused on processes, not results.

    Brennan: Failed Christmas bombing not like 9/11 2010

  • The question that troubled the Obama presidential campaign and, currently, the GOP apparatus, is how to use resources wisely.

    Tea Party Candidates Have Drained GOP Resources Sam Stein 2010

  • The State apparatus is controlled by a narrow group of plutocrats who pursue their own interests, independently of what their subjects think and share no common identity with the latter.

    Obama’s Double Standard on Atrocities & Evil « Antiwar.com Blog 2009

  • I am sorry but isn't this what the Democratic party apparatus is for?

    WH going 'on offense' as Senate health care debate begins 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.