Kay.
māchĭna , ae, f. = mêchanê,
I. 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 .
As mentioned above, it comes from the Greek μηχανῆς, or mêchanê, meaning the same thing: "an instrument" or "a machine".