cog-wheel

A large cog-wheel turns slowly inside a mechanical clock.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A toothed wheel: A "cog-wheel" is a wheel with teeth (cogs) around its edge that interlock with the teeth of another similar wheel to transmit motion or change the direction of force, typically in machinery.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The clock mechanism relies on a small cog-wheel to move the hands. (A toothed wheel in a clock that transfers motion.)
  • The engineer inspected the broken cog-wheel in the factory's conveyor system. (A toothed wheel used in industrial machinery.)

Advanced Usage

• "Cog in the wheel": A metaphor derived from "cog-wheel," meaning a small but essential part of a larger system or organization.
  • He felt like just a cog in the wheel of the large corporation. (He felt he was a minor but necessary component of the company.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cog (n): a single tooth on a cog-wheel, or a simple toothed wheel itself.
  • One of the cogs on the wheel was broken. (One tooth was damaged.)
• Cogwheel (n): an alternative spelling of "cog-wheel," meaning the same thing.
  • The cogwheel turned smoothly after being oiled. (The toothed wheel rotated without friction.)

Synonyms

• Gear: a toothed wheel that meshes with another to transmit power.
  • The bike's gear is a type of cog-wheel. (A gear and a cog-wheel are functionally similar.)
• Pinion: a small cog-wheel that engages with a larger one.
  • The pinion drives the larger gear in the clock. (A small cog-wheel in a gear system.)

Related Idioms

• To have a cog loose: (informal) to be slightly crazy or eccentric.
  • He's a bit odd — I think he has a cog loose. (He has a minor mental quirk, like a loose part.)

Phrasal Verbs

• None directly associated with "cog-wheel," but the verb to cog (rare) means to fit with cogs or to cheat in dice games by using a loaded die.
  • The wheel was cogged to fit the gear. (The wheel was fitted with cogs.)