[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/mechanism/)

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# mechanism

noun (a mechanism, mechanisms)

«mechanism» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A mechanism is a set of moving parts in a machine that work together, such as the mechanism of a clock or a lock. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mechanism/#m1)
2. A mechanism is a way or system by which something happens or is done, as in the body's mechanism for keeping warm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mechanism/#m2)

### In the lessons

In design and technology lessons, pupils learn about mechanisms: levers, gears, pulleys, cams, linkages, and make toys with moving parts. In science, the body has mechanisms such as shivering and sweating. In everyday life, a safety mechanism stops a machine from hurting people. A defence mechanism is how animals or people protect themselves.

### Examples

- The clock's mechanism is full of tiny gears. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mechanism/#x1)
- We made a pop-up card with a lever mechanism. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mechanism/#x2)
- Shivering is the body's mechanism for warming up. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mechanism/#x3)
- The lock mechanism was jammed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mechanism/#x4)
- A hedgehog's spines are a defence mechanism. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mechanism/#x5)
- The toy car has a wind-up mechanism. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mechanism/#x6)

### Note

Countable. Said MEK-uh-niz-um; ch sounds like k. Related: mechanical, mechanic (a person who fixes cars), mechanics.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «mechanism» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mechanism/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«mechanism» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/mechanism.html) on Mova free.