atm
atm — noun
- atmsingular
- atmsplural
1. a machine at or near a bank where you use a card to take cash from your account
a machine at or near a bank where you use a card to take cash from your account and sometimes do other simple banking tasks
Beatriz used the ATM outside the station to withdraw bus fare.
withdraw cash from an ATM
An ATM near the supermarket was out of cash by noon.
After dinner, Christopher checked whether the hotel had an ATM.
find an ATM near a place
The bank installed a new ATM beside the main entrance.
Nadia forgot her card, so the ATM would not let her withdraw cash.
use a bank card with an ATM
- ATM card
- ATM fee
- ATM screen
- withdraw cash from an ATM
- cash machine
common everyday term, especially in British English
- cashpoint
mainly British and often used for a public cash machine
Grammar Patterns
use an ATM to withdraw cash
find an ATM near + place
take money out from an ATM
Usage Note
Usually names the machine itself, not the whole bank branch. In everyday British English, people also often say cash machine.
Common Mistakes
atm — abbreviation
1. a short written form used in science for atmosphere, atmospheric, or the standar
a short written form used in science for atmosphere, atmospheric, or the standard air-pressure level based on one atmosphere
The chart shows 1 atm as normal air pressure at sea level.
scientific shorthand in pressure readings
In the lab notes, the pressure stayed near 1 atm during the test.
Our teacher wrote 0.8 atm beside the pressure value on the board.
numeric value + atm
The diver checked the cabin gauge when it dropped below 1 atm.
- 1 atm
- below 1 atm
- atm pressure
- atm reading
Grammar Patterns
1 atm
below 1 atm
atm in pressure notes
Usage Note
Seen mainly in scientific writing, charts, and measurement notes. In ordinary writing and speech, people usually use the full word instead of this abbreviation.
2. a technical name for a high-speed network system that sends digital data in smal
a technical name for a high-speed network system that sends digital data in small fixed units, especially in older phone and internet equipment
The museum router still uses ATM on one part of the network.
ATM network in older equipment
Aarav studied how ATM carried phone and video data together.
The old telecom manual explained ATM before it described broadband lines.
technical manual context
Engineers replaced the ATM system when cheaper internet links arrived.
- ATM network
- ATM system
- ATM switch
- ATM traffic
Grammar Patterns
ATM network
ATM system
use ATM to carry data
Usage Note
This meaning belongs to telecommunications and computer-network writing, not everyday banking. Many modern readers meet it only in older manuals or technical history.
Etymology
ATM is formed from the initial letters of longer English phrases. In everyday use it most often means automated teller machine, but the same letters are also used in specialist science and networking contexts, so the surrounding topic tells you which meaning is intended.
First known use
1975
1975, in the meaning defined above