mechanism
/ˈmɛk.ə.nɪ.zəm/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.27 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any mechanical means for the conversion or control of motion, or the transmission or control of power.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Any combination of cams, gears, links, belts, chains and logical mechanical elements.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place."
- "A site that carried [sexually explicit] material, but that gated it off from children through credit cards or other mechanisms to verify the age of the user, would have an acceptable defense under the act."
- "Whatever the mechanism, attempts to starve the beast through revenue shortages somehow seem to make the beast all the more voracious."
- "A very rare polymorphism in the prion protein gene recently has been identified that appears to protect against prion disease; this finding, in addition to providing greater understanding of the prionlike mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, might lead to potential treatments."
- "Outside the boundaries of the PTEs [Passenger Transport Executives], there was little mechanism to re-open routes, and despite a growing realisation that the lack of transport connectivity was a big contributor towards social deprivation and poor economic performance, there was little government policy recognition."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-der.? Ancient Greek μηχᾰνή (mēkhănḗ)der. New Latin mechanismuslbor. English mechanism Learned borrowing from New Latin mechanismus.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈmɛk.ə.nɪ.zəm/
- British English: /ˈmɛk.ə.nɪ.zəm/