noun
cog
KAHG/kɑːɡ/
A projecting gear tooth engaging another gear.
Each cog fits between the teeth of the neighboring gear.
Etymology
The wheel-tooth sense supplies the image of a small working part within a larger system. The word is probably Scandinavian in origin, but its specific ancestor is not established.
In context
we're only one small cog in wheel we are part of a community that is willing and even eager to embrace change
More examples
- A broken cog causes the gears to slip.
- The mechanic checks the cogs for signs of wear.
- The cogs mesh smoothly as the gears turn.
Forms
cog · cogs
Similar words
- tooth
- Tooth also names projections on saws, combs, and other objects.