machines or machine systems collectively
"The entire factory floor was filled with roaring machinery working in unison to produce thousands of units by noon."
a system of means and activities whereby a social institution functions
"the complex machinery of negotiation"
"the machinery of command labored and brought forth an order"
The machines constituting a production apparatus, in a plant etc., collectively.
"The factory manager ordered an immediate shutdown of all machinery to address the safety hazard in the assembly line."
In plain English: Machinery is a group of machines that work together to do a specific job.
"The factory machinery began humming softly as soon as morning shift started."
Usage: Use "machinery" to refer to multiple machines or mechanical equipment functioning together as a system, rather than for a single device. Avoid using it to describe an individual machine, which should be called a "machine."
The word machinery comes from combining the root machine with the suffix -ery. It entered English directly from Old French to describe a collection of machines or equipment.