Main Entry: mech·a·nism

Pronunciation: \ˈme-kə-ˌni-zəm\

Function: noun

Date: 1662

1 a : a piece of machinery b : a process, technique, or system for achieving a result
2 : mechanical operation or action : working 2
3 : a doctrine that holds natural processes (as of life) to be mechanically determined and capable of complete explanation by the laws of physics and chemistry
4 : the fundamental processes involved in or responsible for an action, reaction, or other natural phenomenon — compare defense mechanism