pinball machine

noun

: an amusement device in which a ball propelled by a plunger scores points as it rolls down a slanting surface among pins and targets

called also pinball game

Examples of pinball machine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meet the man keeping hope, and 70-year-old pinball machines, alive 3. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 2 Jan. 2025 There are also old-school pinball machines and 25-cent arcade games, including Ms. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024 Rubber rings are a perpetual consumable in pinball machines. Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 6 Jan. 2025 Find a local bar with pinball machines or a game-centric place like Dave & Buster's and let loose. Erin Reimel, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pinball machine 

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pinball machine was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near pinball machine

Cite this Entry

“Pinball machine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinball%20machine. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

pinball machine

noun
pin·​ball machine
ˈpin-ˌbȯl-
: a game in which a ball shot by a plunger scores points as it rolls around a slanting surface among pins and targets

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