Dictionary entries for 'apparatus'

Synonyms

ap·pa·rat·us (ăṕə-răt́əs, -rā́təs)

[Latin apparātus, preparation, from past participle of apparāre, to prepare, ad-, ad-, + parāre, to prepare.]

noun: pl., apparatus or -us·es

1. An appliance or device for a particular purpose: an x-ray apparatus.
2. An integrated group of materials or devices used for a particular purpose: dental apparatus. See synonyms at equipment
1. The totality of means by which a designated function is performed or a specific task executed, as in a system of government.
2. A political organization or an underground political movement. Also called apparat
Physiology A group or system of organs that collectively perform a specific function or process: the respiratory apparatus; the digestive apparatus.
The critical and source material that accompanies an edition of a text.