cog in the wheel

1. Also, cog in the machine. One who holds a minor but necessary post in a large organization, as in Frank knew he was just a cog in the wheel of this giant corporation. This term alludes to the role of the mechanical cog, one of the teeth on a wheel or gear that, by engaging other teeth, transmits or receives motion. Used figuratively since about 1930, it sometimes is put as small cog in a large wheel, emphasizing a person's lack of importance.

Example Sentences

“The worst cog in the wheel has always been CEQA,” Rand said.

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Djaoui Cisse was a key cog in the wheel of a France side that reached the semi-finals at this year's championships.

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David Mason, defending Gumrukguoglu, agreed "there were people higher up" but accepted his client had been an "important cog in the wheel".

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"I think about it as a cog in the wheel -- there are going to be other drugs that support other aspects of Parkinson's. Taking multiple drugs is never fun, but it's a complex condition and there can only be complex solutions," she said.

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Most believe Reaves is the third cog in the wheel.

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