vend·ing machine (v?n?d?ng)n. A self-service machine that dispenses merchandise after payment is made.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.vending machine n (General Engineering) a machine that automatically dispenses consumer goods such as cigarettes, food, or petrol, when money is inserted. Also called: automat Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014vend?ing machine` n. a coin-operated machine for selling small articles, as candy bars or soft drinks. [1905?10] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.