Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
mechanic en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /mɪˈkænɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /məˈkænɪk/ (Canada, General-American)
- (US) audio
- /-ək/ (Australia)
- /məˈkæːnɪk/ (Australia)
- /məˈkanɪk/ (British, Northern-England, Scotland, Southern, Standard, Wales)
- /məˈkɛnək/ (New-Zealand)
- /mɪˈkænɪk/ (Canada, General-American)
Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-der.?
Ancient Greek μηχανή (mēkhanḗ)
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Hellenic *-kos
Ancient Greek -κός (-kós)
Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós)
Ancient Greek μηχανικός (mēkhanikós)bor.
Latin mēchanicusder.
Old French mecaniquebor.
Middle English mekanyk
English mechanic
From Middle English mekanyk (“mechanical”), from Old French mecanique, from Latin mechanicus (“of or belonging to machines or mechanics, inventive”), from Ancient Greek μηχανικός (mēkhanikós, “pertaining to machines or contrivance, mechanic, ingenious, inventive”), from μηχανή (mēkhanḗ, “a machine, contrivance”); see machine.
Meanings
-
(archaic) mechanical; relating to mechanics or the laws of motion in physics
[…] these mechanick Philosophers being in no Way able to give an Account thereof from the necessary motion of Matter, unguided by Mind for Ends […]
1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC:
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(archaic) mechanical; precise but lifeless, as if performed by machine
But, for the unquiet heart and brain,
A use in measured language lies;
The sad mechanic exercise,
Like dull narcotics, numbing pain.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto V”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
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(obsolete) Of or relating to a mechanic or artificer, or to the class of artisans; hence, rude; common; vulgar; base.
Sometimes he ply'd the ſtrong mechanic Tool, / Or rear'd the Fabrick from the fineſt Draught; [...]
1748, James Thomson, “Canto II”, in The Castle of Indolence: […], London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, stanza XII, page 47:Mechanic slaves,
With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers.
c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:Authors both Sacred and Profane we see complain of the Level of Learning, with Mechanick Ignorance: [...]
1654, Richard Whitlock, Zootomia; Or, Observations on the Present Manners of the English:But then they did not wrong themſelves ſo much, / To make a God, a Hero, or a King, / (Stripp'd of his golden Crown and purple Robe) / Deſcend to a Mechanick Dialect, / Nor (to avoid ſuch meanneſs) ſoaring high / With empty ſound, and aiery notions fly; [...]
1680, Horace, translated by Earl of Roscommon [i.e., Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon], Horace’s Art of Poetry. […], London: […] Henry Herringman […], →OCLC, page 17:
Forms
Deriveds
telemechanic · mechanic arts · neuromechanic · mechaphilia · biomechanic
mechanic en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /mɪˈkænɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /məˈkænɪk/ (Canada, General-American)
- (US) audio
- /-ək/ (Australia)
- /məˈkæːnɪk/ (Australia)
- /məˈkanɪk/ (British, Northern-England, Scotland, Southern, Standard, Wales)
- /məˈkɛnək/ (New-Zealand)
- /mɪˈkænɪk/ (Canada, General-American)
Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-der.?
Ancient Greek μηχανή (mēkhanḗ)
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Hellenic *-kos
Ancient Greek -κός (-kós)
Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós)
Ancient Greek μηχανικός (mēkhanikós)bor.
Latin mēchanicusder.
Old French mecaniquebor.
Middle English mekanyk
English mechanic
From Middle English mekanyk (“mechanical”), from Old French mecanique, from Latin mechanicus (“of or belonging to machines or mechanics, inventive”), from Ancient Greek μηχανικός (mēkhanikós, “pertaining to machines or contrivance, mechanic, ingenious, inventive”), from μηχανή (mēkhanḗ, “a machine, contrivance”); see machine.
Meanings
-
(historical) A manual worker; a labourer or artisan.
The lower orders were freer than they had ever been – free […] to choose their own lay preachers, mechanics like the rest of the congregation.
1972, Christopher Hill, The World Turned Upside Down, Folio Society, published 2016, page 77:His noble earnestness, his fidelity, his gallant shielding of her, his generous conquest of his own wrong and his own pride for her sake, are simply honourable, manly, and true. Nothing less worthy can be seen through the lustre of such qualities in the commonest mechanic, nothing less worthy can be seen in the best-born gentleman.
1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:
-
Someone who builds or repairs machinery, a technician; now specifically, someone who works with and repairs the mechanical parts of a motor vehicle, aircraft or similar.
-
A device, method or means; a function.
-
(qualifier:tabletop games) A device, method or means; a function. ▸ A function, rule or other implementation that dictates gameplay; a ludeme, a feature.
This game has a mechanic where if you run toward a ledge you automatically jump off rather than just falling.
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(slang) A hitman.
And from then on, his bag was silence. Silence and killing. Overnight he became the best grunt we had, a real killer, a mechanic.
1976, Newton Thornburg, Cutter and Bone, Little, Brown, →ISBN, page 250:
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A cheat who manipulates the cards or dice.
It was so obvious. I mean, all of Nicky's half-assed mechanics, they were real signal happy.
1995, Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese, Casino, spoken by Ace (Robert De Niro):I can do other things beside burglarizing. I'm a first-class crap dealer, I'm a pretty good card mechanic, pretty good dice mechanic.
1969, Bruce Jackson, A Thief's Primer, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 91:
Forms
Deriveds
auto mechanic · card mechanic · Mechanicsburg · mechanic arts · mechanic's grip · chancre mechanic · dice mechanic · mechanic's lien · Mechanic Falls · shade tree mechanic · aeromechanic · Mechanicville
Hyponyms
card mechanic · dice mechanic
Relateds
mechanize · mechanism · mechanically · mechanistic · mechanics · mechanical · mechanization
Synonyms
grease monkey
Translations (124)
ky механик (skilled worker on machinery) · mk механичарка (skilled worker on machinery) · hu műszerész (skilled worker on machinery) · hy մեխանիկ (skilled worker on machinery) · fr mécanicienne (skilled worker on machinery) · tl mekaniko (skilled worker on machinery) · ar مِيكَانِيكِيّ (skilled worker on machinery) · km ជាងម៉ាស៊ីន (skilled worker on machinery) · ur مِکینِک (skilled worker on machinery) · sl mehaničarka (skilled worker on machinery) · yi מעכאַניקער (skilled worker on machinery) · bg меха́ник (skilled worker on machinery) · oj nanaa'idaabaanewinini (skilled worker on machinery) · uz mexanik (skilled worker on machinery) · de Mechanikerin (skilled worker on machinery) · lt mechanikas (skilled worker on machinery) · fi koneasentaja (skilled worker on machinery) · lt mechanikė (skilled worker on machinery) · hi मेकेनिक (skilled worker on machinery) · bg меха́ничка (skilled worker on machinery) · lv mehāniķis (skilled worker on machinery) · ja メカニック (skilled worker on machinery) · hi मिस्त्री (skilled worker on machinery) · kk механик (skilled worker on machinery) · sq mekanik (skilled worker on machinery) · ja 修理工 (skilled worker on machinery) · lo ນາຍຈັກ (skilled worker on machinery) · lo ຊ່າງເຄື່ອງຈັກ (skilled worker on machinery) · cmn 技工 (skilled worker on machinery) · tr makineci (skilled worker on machinery) · uk меха́нік (skilled worker on machinery) · bo སྐམ་སྤྱོད་བཟོ་བ (skilled worker on machinery) · yue 技工 (skilled worker on machinery) · ps مستري (skilled worker on machinery) · hu gépész (skilled worker on machinery) · pl mechanik (skilled worker on machinery) · nl werktuigkundige (skilled worker on machinery) · lv mehāniķe (skilled worker on machinery) · nan-hbl 技工 (skilled worker on machinery) · bo འཕྲུལ་ཆས་བཟོ་པ (skilled worker on machinery) · eo maŝinisto (skilled worker on machinery) · fi mekaanikko (skilled worker on machinery) · ka მექანიკოსი (skilled worker on machinery) · ur مِسْتْری (skilled worker on machinery) · ms mekanik (skilled worker on machinery) · ceb mekaniko (skilled worker on machinery) · fr mécanicien (skilled worker on machinery) · de Mechaniker (skilled worker on machinery) · da industritekniker (skilled worker on machinery) · es mecánico (skilled worker on machinery) · mn механикч (skilled worker on machinery) · id montir (skilled worker on machinery) · gd innleadair (skilled worker on machinery) · kmr mekanîker (skilled worker on machinery) · afb بنچرچي (skilled worker on machinery) · cs mechanik (skilled worker on machinery) · it meccanica (skilled worker on machinery) · pt mecânico (skilled worker on machinery) · mi kaiaka mīhini (skilled worker on machinery) · tt механик (skilled worker on machinery) · sv mekaniker (skilled worker on machinery) · is vélvirki (skilled worker on machinery) · cs mechanička (skilled worker on machinery) · nn mekanikar (skilled worker on machinery) · nrf mécanicien (skilled worker on machinery) · pt mecânica (skilled worker on machinery) · my စက်ဆရာ (skilled worker on machinery) · mn ᠮᠧᠬᠠᠨᠢᠭᠴᠢ (skilled worker on machinery) · hu géplakatos (skilled worker on machinery) · el μηχανικός (skilled worker on machinery) · sk mechanik (skilled worker on machinery) · af werktuigkundige (skilled worker on machinery) · sh mehàničār (skilled worker on machinery) · fi autonasentaja (skilled worker on machinery) · ro mecanică (skilled worker on machinery) · be меха́нік (skilled worker on machinery) · sl mehanik (skilled worker on machinery) · tk mehanik (skilled worker on machinery) · tl maninigmo (skilled worker on machinery) · lo ຊ່າງຈັກ (skilled worker on machinery) · ota ماكینهجی (skilled worker on machinery) · nb mekaniker (skilled worker on machinery) · bn কারিগর (skilled worker on machinery) · wuu 技工 (skilled worker on machinery) · eo meĥaniko (skilled worker on machinery) · cmn 機械工 /机械工 (skilled worker on machinery) · vi thợ máy (skilled worker on machinery) · ur دَسْتْکار (skilled worker on machinery) · oc mecanician (skilled worker on machinery) · ja 自動車整備士 (skilled worker on machinery) · el μηχανοτεχνίτης (skilled worker on machinery) · ru меха́ник (skilled worker on machinery) · ko 기계공 (skilled worker on machinery) · it meccanico (skilled worker on machinery) · ug مېخانىك (skilled worker on machinery) · he מְכוֹנַאי (skilled worker on machinery) · et mehaanik (skilled worker on machinery) · az mexanik (skilled worker on machinery) · hu szerelő (skilled worker on machinery) · ps ميخانيک (skilled worker on machinery) · mk меха́ничар (skilled worker on machinery) · ur مِکَینِک (skilled worker on machinery) · id mekanik (skilled worker on machinery) · ro mecanic (skilled worker on machinery) · es mecánica (skilled worker on machinery) · th ช่างเครื่อง (skilled worker on machinery) · ps ماشينکار (skilled worker on machinery) · yue 機械工 /机械工 (skilled worker on machinery) · mt mekanik (skilled worker on machinery) · ca mecànic (skilled worker on machinery) · gd meacanaig (skilled worker on machinery) · bn যান্ত্রিক (skilled worker on machinery) · sh меха̀нича̄р (skilled worker on machinery) · tr mekanikçi (skilled worker on machinery) · sw makanika (skilled worker on machinery) · da mekaniker (skilled worker on machinery) · da maskinarbejder (skilled worker on machinery) · nl mecanicien (skilled worker on machinery) · sk mechanička (skilled worker on machinery) · ko 정비공 (skilled worker on machinery) · bo འཕྲུལ་འཁོར་བཟོ་མཁན (skilled worker on machinery) · fo mekanikari (skilled worker on machinery) · tg механик (skilled worker on machinery) · fa-ira مِکانیک (skilled worker on machinery)