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Definition of cog

cog

/kɑːɡ/
cog

Plural:cogs
•
Past Simple:cogged
•
Past Participle:cogged
•
Present Participle:cogging
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cog Lexical Profile

cog Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A subordinate or insignificant person who forms a minor part of a large organization or system.

Example

"Despite her years of hard work, she felt like nothing more than a small cog in a vast corporate machine."


2

A tooth on the rim of a gear or wheel that transfers motion by engaging with another toothed part.

Example

"If a single cog breaks, the entire mechanism will grind to a halt."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• verb

1

To furnish or equip a wheel or mechanism with cogs.

Example

"The blacksmith carefully cogged the large wooden wheel for the newly constructed watermill."


2

To cheat or deceive, especially by manipulating dice or falsifying information (archaic).

Example

"The other gamblers suspected he had cogged the dice when he rolled consecutive winning numbers."

Synonyms
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• Rhymes for cog

Word Origin & Etymology

From Middle English 'cogge', likely of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish 'kugge', meaning 'cog' or 'tooth'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Cog. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/cog
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