mechanic

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See also: Mechanic

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English mechanike (“mechanic art”), 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.

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /məˈkænɪk/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ænɪk
  • Hyphenation: me‧chan‧ic

Adjective

mechanic

  1. (archaic) mechanical; relating to the laws of motion in the art of constructing things
    • (Can we date this quote by Ray and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      these mechanic philosophers
    • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Mechanic slaves, With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers.
  2. (obsolete) Of or relating to a mechanic or artificer, or to the class of artisans; hence, rude; common; vulgar; base.
    • (Can we date this quote by Roscommon and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      To make a god, a hero, or a king / Descend to a mechanic dialect.
    • (Can we date this quote by Thomson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Sometimes he ply'd the strong, mechanic tool.
    • 1654, Richard Whitlock, Zootomia; Or, Observations on the Present Manners of the English
      Authors both Sacred and Profane we see complain of the Level of Learning, with Mechanick Ignorance: […]

Noun

mechanic (plural mechanics)

  1. (now chiefly historical) A manual worker; a labourer or artisan. [from 16th c.]
    • 1972, Christopher Hill, The World Turned Upside Down, Folio Society, published 2016, page 77:
      The lower orders were freer than they had ever been – free […] to choose their own lay preachers, mechanics like the rest of the congregation.
  2. 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. [from 17th c.]
  3. A device, command, or feature which allows someone to achieve a specific task. [from 20th c.]
    This game has a mechanic where if you run toward a ledge you automatically jump off rather than just falling.
  4. A hit man. [from 20th c.]

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

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