machina

māchĭna, ae, f. = mêchanê, a machine, i. e. any artificial contrivance for performing work, an engine, fabric, frame, scaffolding, staging, easel, warlike engine, military machine, etc.

I.

Lit.

A.

In gen.:

moles et machina mundi,

Lucr. 5, 96:

omnes illae columnae machinā appositā dejectae sunt,

Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 55, § 145:

torquet nunc lapidem, nunc ingens machina tignum,

Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 73:

trahuntque siccas machinae carinas,

id. C. 1, 4, 2:

frumentaria,

Dig. 33, 7, 12.—

B.

Esp.,

1.

A platform on which slaves were exposed for sale:

amicam de machinis emere,

Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 2, 8.—

2.

A painter's easel, Plin. 35, 10, 37, § 120.—

3.

A scaffold for building:

de machinā cadere,

Dig. 13, 6, 5; Plin. 19, 2, 8, § 30.—

4.

A military machine, warlike engine:

machinis omnium generum expugnare oppidum,

Sall. J. 21:

aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros,

Verg. A. 2, 46:

murales,

Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 202:

arietaria,

Vitr. 10, 19.—

II.

Trop., a device, plan, contrivance; esp. a trick, artifice, stratagem:

at nunc disturba quas statuisti machinas,

i. e. abandon your schemes, Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 137:

totam hanc legem ad illius opes evertendas tamquam machinam comparari,

Cic. Agr. 2, 18, 50: omnes ad amplificandam orationem quasi machinae, * Quint. 11, 1, 44: dolum aut machinam commoliar, Caecil. ap. Cic. N. D. 3, 29, 73:

quantas moveo machinas!

Plaut. Mil. 3, 2, 1:

aliquam machinabor machinam, Unde aurum efficiam,

id. Bacch. 2, 2, 54.