hinge

[ hinj ]

/ hɪndʒ /

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See synonyms for: hinge / hinged on Thesaurus.com

noun

a jointed device or flexible piece on which a door, gate, shutter, lid, or other attached part turns, swings, or moves.

a natural anatomical joint at which motion occurs around a transverse axis, as that of the knee or a bivalve shell.

that on which something is based or depends; pivotal consideration or factor.

Also called mount. Philately. a gummed sticker for affixing a stamp to a page of an album, so folded as to form a hinge, allowing the stamp to be raised to reveal the text beneath.

verb (used without object), hinged, hing·ing.

to be dependent or contingent on, or as if on, a hinge (usually followed by on or upon): Everything hinges on his decision.

verb (used with object), hinged, hing·ing.

to furnish with or attach by a hinge or hinges.

to attach as if by a hinge.

to make or consider as dependent upon; predicate: He hinged his action on future sales.

OTHER WORDS FOR hinge

5 rest, swing, pivot, depend.

See synonyms for hinge on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of hinge

1250–1300; Middle English henge; cognate with Low German heng(e), Middle Dutch henge hinge; akin to hang

OTHER WORDS FROM hinge

hingeless, adjectivehingelike, adjectivere·hinge, verb (used with object), re·hinged, re·hing·ing.well-hinged, adjective

Words nearby hinge

hindward, hind wing, Hines, Hinesville, hiney, hinge, hinge joint, hinge on, Hingham, Hingis, Hinglish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hinge in a sentence

India’s mass immunisation plan for Covid-19 hinges on some of the lowest-paid workers in its healthcare system.
Behind India’s coronavirus vaccine plan is an army of poorly paid female health workers|Manavi Kapur|January 15, 2021|Quartz
Irrespective of the type of business you run, the future growth of your business hinges on one thing – your customer acquisition strategy.
Eight ways to align your customer acquisition strategy in 2021|Lidia Hovhannisyan|January 4, 2021|Search Engine Watch
As an example, he contrasted a door hinge and a hinge of another sort—the ear of a house pet.
Why ‘soft robots’ have NASA, doctors, and tech whizzes so excited|jakemeth|January 1, 2021|Fortune
The health of our local economy hinges on the health of San Diegans.
Morning Report: The Coronavirus Is Ravaging the Convention Center Shelter|Voice of San Diego|December 18, 2020|Voice of San Diego

The legality of this sale hinges on whether the home was purchased at fair market value.
Sen. David Perdue Sold His Home to a Finance Industry Official Whose Organization Was Lobbying the Senate|by Robert Faturechi|December 10, 2020|ProPublica
Complete male reproductive independence would also hinge on artificial womb technology, which also made headlines in 2014.
Men Will Someday Have Kids Without Women|Samantha Allen|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Race relations in Saint Louis could hinge on the outcome of this announcement.
Ferguson Tensions in Black and White|Seth Ferranti|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The game is almost certain to hinge on how well Manning and his receivers fare against Sherman and company.
Peyton Manning Vs. Richard Sherman|Allen Barra|January 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The jokes hinge on stereotypes: black people like curvy women and know how to get down on a dance floor.
Are Key and Peele Biracial Geniuses or Are They Just Really Funny?|Sujay Kumar|December 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Much will hinge on what happens in 2014, in the coming crisis negotiations and then in the elections.
The Ted Cruz Armageddon Is Coming|Michael Tomasky|October 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Never did events of the utmost magnitude hinge on incidents so trivial to the community at large.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Laidlaw threw his heavy bulk against the door, burst lock and hinge, and sent it flat on the garret floor.
The Garret and the Garden|R.M. Ballantyne
The mast is on a hinge, so that it can turn down backward, and lie along flat on the deck of the boat.
Rollo in Holland|Jacob Abbott
And that told me a good many things, as it was the hand that had rested against the upper hinge of the door.
Tiger Cat|David H. Keller
A hinge was made from heavy elastic bands to allow for two dozen cards in the frame at one time.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for hinge

hinge

/ (hɪndʒ) /

noun

a device for holding together two parts such that one can swing relative to the other, typically having two interlocking metal leaves held by a pin about which they pivot

anatomy a type of joint, such as the knee joint, that moves only backwards and forwards; a joint that functions in only one planeTechnical name: ginglymus

a similar structure in invertebrate animals, such as the joint between the two halves of a bivalve shell

something on which events, opinions, etc, turn

Also called: mount philately a small thin transparent strip of gummed paper for affixing a stamp to a page

verb

(tr) to attach or fit a hinge to (something)

(intr; usually foll by on or upon) to depend (on)

(intr) to hang or turn on or as if on a hinge

Derived forms of hinge

hinged, adjectivehingeless, adjectivehingelike, adjective

Word Origin for hinge

C13: probably of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch henge; see hang

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hinge

OTHER WORDS FOR hinge

Origin of hinge

OTHER WORDS FROM hinge

Words nearby hinge

Words related to hinge

How to use hinge in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hinge

Derived forms of hinge

Word Origin for hinge