cogwheel

[ kog-hweel, -weel ]

noun

1. (not in technical use) a gearwheel, especially one having teeth of hardwood or metal inserted into slots.

cogwheel

/ ˈkɒɡˌwiːl /

noun

1. another name for gearwheel

Word History and Origins

Origin of cogwheel¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; cog ¹, wheel

Example Sentences

There are red cogwheel trains and cable cars.

From New York Times

The cleverly punctuated title of Dennis Duncan’s book, “Index, A History of The,” should signal that this isn’t a dry account of a small cogwheel in the publishing machine.

From Washington Post

You set it up using the web version of Gmail: Click on the “Settings” cogwheel in the upper right corner, and on “See all settings.”

From The Verge

The most interesting aspect of these final years of Federer’s career has been what he is willing to do to keep those cogwheels turning.

From The Guardian

If either factor failed—if reproduction failed to produce variants or if heredity failed to transmit the variations—then nature would be mired in a ditch, the cogwheels of evolution jammed.

From Literature

Related Words

• prong