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 result2: mechanical operation or action : working 23: a doctrine that holds natural processes (as of life) to be mechanically determined and capable of complete explanation by the laws of physics and chemistry4: the fundamental processes involved in or responsible for an action, reaction, or other natural phenomenon — compare defense mechanism