apparatus

noun9

1. •
   A complex machine or instrument.

   • An apparatus for exploring the atmosphere of a planet such as Venus, at a specific altitude, was patented this week for a French agency, the Office Nationale d'Etudes et de Recherche Aerospatiales. — 1983
2. •
   A complex, highly modified weapon (typically not a firearm); a weaponized “Rube Goldberg machine.”
3. •
   The entirety of means whereby a specific production is made existent or task accomplished.

   • It describes a “coordinated effort by the CCP’s propaganda apparatus … to discredit the BBC, distract international attention and recapture control of the narrative,” mostly outside Chinese borders. — 2021
4. •
   A bureaucratic organization, especially one influenced by political patronage.
5. •
   An assortment of tools and instruments.
6. •
   Any of the equipment on which the gymnasts perform their movements.
7. •
   Any of the objects that the gymnasts wield while performing and used as part of the performance itself.
8. •
   A vehicle used for emergency response.
9. •
   In an edition, a system of notations providing information, especially regarding variant readings of a text (a critical apparatus)