Definition

Noun 1. Automated Teller Machine (ATM): An unattended electronic machine, typically located outside or inside a bank or other public place, that provides cash and other basic banking services when a customer inserts a personal coded card (a bank card or debit/credit card) and enters a PIN (Personal Identification Number).

Usage

The term "cash machine" is used to refer specifically to the machine that dispenses banknotes. It is a common, everyday term, especially in British English. It is often used interchangeably with "ATM" (Automated Teller Machine), which is the more formal and universal term.

Examples

• Noun:
  • I need to withdraw some money; I'll stop at the cash machine on the corner.
  • Is there a cash machine near the hotel?
  • The cash machine was out of service, so I had to go into the bank.

Advanced Usage

• "hole in the wall": (British English, informal) A colloquial synonym for a cash machine.
  • I'm just popping to the hole in the wall to get some cash.

Variants and Related Words

• ATM / Automated Teller Machine (n): The full, formal name for a cash machine. This is the standard term in American English and in formal contexts globally.
• Cashpoint (n): A trademarked term (by Lloyds Bank) that has become a generic term for a cash machine in British English.
• Bank machine (n): A common term in Canadian English.
• ABM / Automated Banking Machine (n): A term sometimes used, particularly in Canada.

Synonyms

• Automated Teller Machine (ATM)
• Cashpoint (UK)
• Bank machine (Canada)
• Teller machine

Related Phrases

• To use a cash machine: The standard phrase for operating one.
  • You can use the cash machine to check your balance.
• Cash machine charges / fees: Refers to the cost for using a machine not owned by your own bank.
  • Be aware of cash machine fees when you're abroad.

Noun

1. an unattended machine (outside some banks) that dispenses money when a personal coded card is used