hinge

[ hinj ]

/ hɪndʒ /

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.

QUIZZES

FOR LEXICAL ALIMENTATION, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Nourish your vocabulary with a refresher on the words from the week of September 14–20, 2020!

Question 1 of 7

What does “blatherskite” mean?

a person given to voluble, empty talk.

an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.

a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of hinge

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

SYNONYMS FOR hinge

5 rest, swing, pivot, depend.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR hinge ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM hinge

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for hinge

And this is to say nothing of election strategies that hinged on racial resentment.
GOP Strategists to Party: Hug More Brown Kids|Jamelle Bouie|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The case against them hinged on the testimony of their accomplice Nathaniel Simms.
The Week’s Best Longreads for March 16, 2013|David Sessions|March 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He knew, as well as I, that his poor average of happiness was fortuitous—that it hinged on the life of his master.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 3, No. 1 January 1863|Various
The roosts are fastened to a strong frame, as shown in drawing, and the frame—in sections—is hinged at the back.
Carpentry and Woodwork|Edwin W. Foster

It consists of a socket into which slides a pencil by hard friction, and to which is hinged a tapering, pointed leg.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 514, November 7, 1885|Various
Discovering that a hinged shelf on the wall was intended for a table, we put it up and set our breakfast on it.
Land of the Burnt Thigh|Edith Eudora Kohl
The quickest saw frames oscillate, being supported on legs that are hinged to the bottom of the frame.
Farm Mechanics|Herbert A. Shearer

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

Medical definitions for hinge

hinge

[ hĭnj ]

n.

A jointed or flexible device that allows the turning or pivoting of a part, such as a door or lid, on a stationary frame.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

hinge

noun

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

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

QUIZZES

FOR LEXICAL ALIMENTATION, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Origin of hinge

SYNONYMS FOR hinge

OTHER WORDS FROM hinge

Example sentences from the Web for hinge

British Dictionary definitions for hinge

noun

verb

Derived forms of hinge

Word Origin for hinge

Medical definitions for hinge

n.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

hinge

noun

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

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

QUIZZES

FOR LEXICAL ALIMENTATION, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Origin of hinge

SYNONYMS FOR hinge

OTHER WORDS FROM hinge

Words related to hinge

Example sentences from the Web for hinge

British Dictionary definitions for hinge

noun

verb

Derived forms of hinge

Word Origin for hinge

Medical definitions for hinge

n.