mechanism
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (5)mechanisms
- the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction“he determined unique mechanisms for the photochemical reactions”Synonyms: chemical mechanismType of chemical process, chemical changeKinds biochemical mechanism
- the technical aspects of doing something“a mechanism of social control”“mechanisms of communication”“the mechanics of prose style”Synonyms: mechanicsType of performance, executionKinds paywall
- a natural object resembling a machine in structure or function“the mechanism of the ear”“the mechanism of infection”Type of natural objectKinds barrier, transmission mechanism, biological clock
- (philosophy) the philosophical theory that all phenomena can be explained in terms of physical or biological causesType of philosophical doctrine, philosophical theory
- device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some functionType of deviceKinds drive, works, action, cooling system, lock, control, delayed action, clockwork, fail-safe, tape drive +18 more
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Noun mechanical device, machinery
- Spanish
- mecanismo
- French
- mécanisme
- German
- Mechanismus
- Italian
- meccanismo
- Portuguese
- mecanismo
- Turkish
- mekanizma
- Russian
- механи́зм mexanízm
- Arabic
- آلِيَّة ʔāliyya
- Chinese
- 机构 jīgòu
- Japanese
- 機構 kikō
21 more languages
- Dutch
- mechanisme
- Polish
- mechanizm
- Swedish
- mekanism
- Greek
- μηχανισμός michanismós
- Korean
- 메커니즘 mekeonijeum
- Indonesian
- mekanisme
- Vietnamese
- bộ máy
- Hungarian
- mechanizmus
- Portuguese (PT)
- mecanismo
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 機構 jīgòu
- Catalan
- mecanisme
- Czech
- mechanismus
- Esperanto
- meĥanismo
- Finnish
- mekanismi
- Georgian
- მექანიზმი mekanizmi
- Hebrew
- מַנְגָּנוֹן manganón
- Latvian
- mehānisms
- Lithuanian
- mechanizmas
- Norwegian
- mekanisme
- Romanian
- mecanism
- Serbo-Croatian
- mehanizam
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: Cf. F. mécanisme, L. mechanisma. See Mechanic.
1. The arrangement or relation of the parts of a machine; the parts of a machine, taken collectively; the arrangement or relation of the parts of anything as adapted to produce an effect; as, the mechanism of a watch; the mechanism of a sewing machine; the mechanism of a seed pod.
2. The series of causal relations that operate to produce an effect in any system; as, the mechanism of a chemical reaction.
3. Mechanical operation or action.
He acknowledges nothing besides matter and motion; so that all must be performed either by mechanism or accident.— Richard Bentley
4. Kinematics An ideal machine; a combination of movable bodies constituting a machine, but considered only with regard to relative movements.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: GCIDE editors