Definition

1. Noun:
   • A fastener consisting of a wedge or pin inserted through a slot to hold two other pieces together: In mechanical engineering, a "cotter" is a type of fastener, often a pin or wedge, that is passed through a hole or slot to secure parts like a rod or lever in place.
   • A medieval English villein; a peasant farmer in the Scottish Highlands: Historically, a "cotter" was a tenant farmer or peasant of low social status who occupied a cottage and worked a small plot of land, particularly in medieval England or the Scottish Highlands.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Fastener):
  • The mechanic replaced the worn cotter to secure the wheel assembly.
  • Ensure the cotter pin is properly inserted to prevent the nut from loosening.
• Noun (Historical Peasant):
  • The cotter paid rent to the lord through labor on the manor.
  • Life was hard for a Scottish Highlands cotter in the 18th century.

Advanced Usage

• "Cotter pin": A specific type of cotter fastener, typically a split pin with two tines that are bent after insertion to lock it in place.
  • Always use a new cotter pin when reassembling the aircraft's control linkage.
• "Cotter joint": A mechanical joint secured using a cotter.
  • The bicycle's pedal arm is connected to the crank with a cotter joint.

Variants and Related Words

• Cottar (noun): An alternative spelling, primarily used for the historical peasant meaning.
  • The cottar's holding was often barely sufficient for subsistence.
• Cottered (adjective): Describing something secured with a cotter.
  • The cottered crank is a classic design on older bicycles.

Synonyms

• For the fastener: Pin, wedge, linchpin, clevis pin.
• For the historical peasant: Villein, serf, tenant farmer, crofter (specifically in Scotland).

Related Phrases

• "To fit a cotter": To install or insert a cotter pin or wedge.
  • The final step is to fit a cotter to lock the castle nut.
• "Cotter way": The slot or hole into which a cotter is inserted.
  • The rod must be drilled to create a cotter way for the pin.

Noun

1. fastener consisting of a wedge or pin inserted through a slot to hold two other pieces together
2. a medieval English villein
3. a peasant farmer in the Scottish Highlands