apparatusap‧pa‧ra‧tus /ˌæpəˈreɪtəs $ -ˈræ-/ ●○○ noun 
Word Origin
Astronauts have special breathing apparatus.2[countable] the way in which a lot of people are organized to work together to do a job or control a company or country SYN machinery: The tax will require a massive administrative apparatus. The state apparatus has become corrupt. the apparatus of government
Word OriginWORD ORIGINapparatus
ExamplesOrigin:
1600-1700 Latin past participle of apparare ‘to prepare’, from ad- ‘to’ + parare ‘to prepare’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- The astronauts have special breathing apparatus.
- The East German security apparatus used these kinds of devices to overhear conversations.
- There's a shop in town which sells all the latest photographic apparatus.
- This experiment can be performed using the apparatus shown in the diagram.
- This wooden apparatus was used for weaving.
- Because of this, a strong administrative apparatus was needed to plan the use of scarce resources, organize production and regulate distribution.
- Now consider three contrasting experiments with such a piece of apparatus.
- Some of the mathematical ideas which can be experienced with the most general apparatus are suggested here.
- The president holds tremendous advantages as the incumbent, partly because his campaign apparatus has low visibility.
- The teacher was then taken into another room and shown an apparatus which could deliver electric shocks to the learner.
- This project was not just one piece of apparatus on a street corner.
- With the apparatus, researchers should be able to analyse an item in 15 minutes when the current technique takes days.
THESAURUS► equipment
Collocations noun [uncountable] the machines, tools, or objects that you use for doing something: · All the camping equipment is in the garage.· You’ll do a better job if you have the right equipment.· We are raising money for equipment for our playgroup.
► gear noun [uncountable] informal equipment and clothes for an activity that you do in your spare time: · We loaded all our gear into the boat, and set off to go fishing.· I’ve decided to sell my climbing gear.· camping gear
► kit noun [countable] things for a particular purpose or activity, especially ones kept together in their own container: · You’ll find a hammer in my tool kit.· Do you have a first aid kit?· You can buy a special kit for damp-proofing your home.
► apparatus noun [uncountable] tools and machines used for scientific, medical, and technical purposes: · This experiment can be performed using the apparatus shown in the diagram.· Astronauts have special breathing apparatus.
► stuff noun [uncountable] informal equipment that you use to do something: · The builders have left all their stuff round the back of the house.· Where’s the decorating stuff?
► things noun [plural] informal especially British English the equipment or clothes that you need for a particular activity: · She went into the shed where her father kept his gardening things.· They got all the Christmas things out of the loft.
► paraphernalia noun [uncountable] written a lot of small things that are used for a particular purpose: · All the paraphernalia for making tea and coffee stood on the bedside table.· The police found drug paraphernalia all over the house.
Longman Language Activatornot having equal rights► equipment the machines, tools, or objects that you use for doing something: · You should check all your electrical equipment regularly.equipment for: · high technology equipment for policing and traffic controloffice/video/sports etc equipment: · Thieves stole all the video equipment from the college.· We were told to keep all our sports equipment in the lockers downstairs.a piece of equipment: · It's much easier if you have the right piece of equipment for the job.
► tools equipment, especially simple things, that you use to make something or do something useful: · The plumber went back out to the van to get his tools.· As a writer, I don't need any tools, apart from my computer and the internet.tools of the trade (=equipment necessary for a particular job): · For a salesman, a cheap suit and a Ford Escort are the traditional tools of the trade.
► apparatus tools and machines used especially for scientific, medical, and technical purposes: · This experiment can be performed using the apparatus shown in the diagram.breathing/gym/surgical etc apparatus: · Astronauts have special breathing apparatus.· There's a shop in town which sells all the latest photographic apparatus.
► things especially British, spoken the pieces of equipment or clothes that you need for a particular activity: · Now, have you got all your things ready?swimming/painting/sewing etc things: · Don't forget to bring your swimming things with you.
► gear informal the equipment and special clothes that you need to do something, especially an activity that you do in your free time: · At 8.30 we loaded all our gear into the boat, and cruised out to a spot a few miles offshore.camping/skiing/fishing etc gear: · Have you got all your football gear?· The soldiers were wearing heavy combat gear and travelling in convoys.
► kit : shaving/sewing/repair etc kit a set of small things that you use to do something: · Always take a first-aid kit with you when you go camping.· You should never go cycling without a basic repair kit.
► stuff spoken informal the equipment that you use to do something: · The builders have left all their stuff round the back of the house.camping/painting etc stuff: · Our camping stuff alone took up most of the space in the back of the car.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► administrative
1[uncountable] the set of tools and machines that you use for a particular scientific, medical, or technical purpose SYN equipment: · With the introduction of parliamentary government in 1918, a layer of elected politicians was superimposed on the existing administrative apparatus.· Because of this, a strong administrative apparatus was needed to plan the use of scarce resources, organize production and regulate distribution.· In so far as socialism means the collective ownership and management of the economy and social relations, it requires an extensive administrative apparatus.· This is a fragmenting process, as different interests from alliances with different parts of the administrative apparatus.
► breathing· Four men were forced to use breathing apparatus by the choking smoke.· A trained, fit submariner, possibly with breathing apparatus, might do it.· Falling debris rained down as eight men in breathing apparatus fought the flames.· Firemen wearing breathing apparatus fought the blaze which extensively damaged the house.· Wearing breathing apparatus they were a few feet into the building when overhead piping collapsed, trapping them.· The little mouth was born with a scowl, the brows positively beetle over the turned-up be-ringed breathing apparatus.· Shortly after this I nearly suffocated when the pipe of my breathing apparatus came adrift.· Firemen wearing breathing apparatus used special foam to extinguish the flames in the factory's North Works.
► whole· Chancery was the oldest and most solemn part of the whole apparatus.
NOUN► security· They might have to consider dismantling at least part of the military and security apparatus that they have created over the years.· We know who they were now - security guards from the World Security apparatus.· The majority of public spending went on the security apparatus.· The Archon had retreated behind the security apparatus.· His death was the second significant blow to the country's security apparatus within three months.· The struggle has been between the Czech people and the security apparatus behind the Communist party.
► state· Such studies tend to ignore the influence of economic relationships on the development of the state apparatus under colonialism.· The exercise of bureaucratic functions reflects the way the state apparatus as a whole functions.· The fragmentation of the state apparatus also conveniently diverts the class struggle to multiple fronts.· The personnel of the state apparatus have become homogenized into a distinct social group whose backgrounds have become increasingly similar.· The power that small hill farmers and poorer urban dwellers have in the state apparatus and in society at large is negligible.· They are based on an assessment of relationships between different parts of the state apparatus.· There was no large, autonomous middle class apart from the state apparatus.· State bureaucracies are responsive to elites who do not occupy formal positions in the state apparatus.
VERB► use· Four men were forced to use breathing apparatus by the choking smoke.· Such great thinkers as Kant and Schopenhauer have used the apparatus of Wissenschaft to demonstrate the limits of Wissenschaft.· The depression of freezing point can be determined experimentally using the apparatus shown in figure 6.38.· You will learn how to use scientific apparatus such as test tubes, beakers and Bunsen burners.· There are a number of different possible ways of using biofeedback apparatus in assisting clients to relax.· The phenomenon can be demonstrated by using the apparatus shown in figure 6.39.· When all the contributions are joined together we should finish up with a representative item using a piece of apparatus.
► wear· Firemen wearing breathing apparatus fought the blaze which extensively damaged the house.· Firemen wearing breathing apparatus used special foam to extinguish the flames in the factory's North Works.· Cooker fire: Firemen wearing breathing apparatus entered a house in Southgate, Hartlepool, after a cooker caught fire.· Fire officers wearing breathing apparatus searched the building but there was no one trapped.· Piglets saved: Cleveland firemen wearing breathing apparatus saved 120 piglets during a farm blaze at Carlin How.· Two firemen wearing breathing apparatus managed to confine the fire to the living room, which was extensively damaged.· It took firemen wearing breathing apparatus nearly two hours to bring the blaze under control.· Firemen wearing breathing apparatus found the woman in the kitchen.
Astronauts have special breathing apparatus.2[countable] the way in which a lot of people are organized to work together to do a job or control a company or country SYN machinery: The tax will require a massive administrative apparatus. The state apparatus has become corrupt. the apparatus of government