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Chambers (1908)

Mechanic

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[O. Fr.,—L. mechanicus; Gr. mēchanikos—mēchane, a contrivance.]

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Mechanic, -al, me-kan′ik, -al, adj. pertaining to machines or mechanics: constructed according to the laws of mechanics: possessing mechanical talent: acting by physical power: done by a machine: pertaining to artisans: done simply by force of habit, slavish, artificial: vulgar.—n. Mechan′ic, one engaged in a mechanical trade: an artisan—(Shak.) Mechan′ical.—adv. Mechan′ically.—ns. Mechanic′ian, Mech′anist, a machine-maker: one skilled in mechanics; Mechan′ics, the science which treats of machines: the science which treats of the nature of forces and of their action on bodies, either directly or by the agency of machinery.—v.t. Mech′anise, to make mechanical: to work out the details of a machine.—ns. Mech′anism, the construction of a machine: the arrangement and action of its parts, by which it produces a given result; Mech′anograph, a copy, esp. of a work of art produced by a mechanical process on a machine.—adj. Mech′anographic.—ns. Mechanog′raphist; Mechanog′raphy, the art of multiplying copies of a writing or work of art by means of a machine; Mechanol′ogy, a treatise on mechanics: the knowledge of such.—Mechanical effect, work produced by the use of mechanical power; Mechanical philosophy, the principles of mechanics applied to solve questions or phenomena involving force; Mechanical powers, the elementary forms or parts of machines—three primary, the lever, inclined plane, and pulley; and three secondary, the wheel-and-axle, the wedge, and the screw.—Mechanics' institute, an institution for mechanics, with lectures, library, museum, &c. [O. Fr.,—L. mechanicus; Gr. mēchanikos—mēchane, a contrivance.]

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Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language
Thomas Davidson (editor)
1908

Public-domain-US ↗ · United States

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