cog

US /kɑːɡ/
UK /kɑːɡ/
"cog" picture
1.

a wheel or bar with a series of projections around its edge, which transfers motion by engaging with projections on another wheel or bar

:
•
The broken cog prevented the machine from working.
•
Each cog in the clockwork mechanism is essential.
:
geartoothsprocket
2.

a subordinate person in a large organization

:
•
He felt like a small cog in a giant machine.
•
Every cog in the company plays a role, no matter how small.
:
subordinatecomponentelementpart
1.

to engage a cog with another to transmit motion

:
•
The engineer carefully cogged the gears together.
•
The machine needs to be properly cogged for optimal performance.
:
meshengageinterlock