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

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

How to use hinge in a sentence

I choose a beautiful set of strap hinges for my doors, to give my shed a distinctive look.
Build your own door and ascend to a higher level of DIY|Courtney Starr|November 20, 2020|Popular-Science
The post Bleacher Report is drafting a commerce strategy that’s growth plan hinges on fan fervor for exclusive merchandise appeared first on Digiday.
Bleacher Report is drafting a commerce strategy that’s growth plan hinges on fan fervor for exclusive merchandise|Kayleigh Barber|November 19, 2020|Digiday
Don’t worry, this won’t damage the coating of your lenses or the hinges of your frames.
The best ways to stop a mask from fogging up your glasses, ranked|Sandra Gutierrez G.|November 18, 2020|Popular-Science
Instead of tying the mask around your wrist or sticking it in your pocket, this chain borrows from the same concept as chains for eyeglasses, using hinge closures around the face mask straps to keep it securely around your neck.
Must-have gadgets and accessories for safer winter (and pandemic) travel|Rachel King|November 6, 2020|Fortune

It took the nonprofit a month to put her bedroom door back on the hinges, she said.
Domestic violence survivors say they were kicked out by the housing program that promised to help them|Rachel Chason, Katie Mettler|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
The evidence considered by the jury hinged on a 90-second exchange of words, violence, and gunshots.
The Three Biggest Unanswered Questions About Ferguson|Jacob Siegel|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
Once again, the course of history hinged on the outcome of a preemptive strike.
Iran Arms Race in Ancient Times Echoes Today|James Romm|April 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Elimination is your watchword, whether chucking 20th century memorabilia or relationships hinged on reminiscence.
Horoscopes: May 29-June 4, 2011|Starsky + Cox|May 28, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The largest three-hinged-arch bridge constructed is the Viaur viaduct in the south of France (fig. 30).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
A more common type is a bridge with two leaves or bascules, one hinged at each abutment.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
This small circular opening can also be closed, if necessary, by a wooden-hinged cover made for the purpose.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.
The lifeboats were stowed on hinged wood chocks on the boat deck, by groups of three at the forward and four at the after ends.
Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic'|British Government
An ordinary postal-card printing frame, D, with a hinged back was used and placed on the shelf A, as shown.
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 related to hinge

How to use hinge in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hinge

Derived forms of hinge

Word Origin for hinge