Main Entry: mech·a·nism

Pronunciation: \ˈmek-ə-ˌniz-əm\

Function: noun

1 : a piece of machinery
2 a : a bodily process or function <the mechanism of healing> b : the combination of mental processes by which a result is obtained <psychological mechanisms>
3 : the fundamental physical or chemical processes involved in or responsible for an action, reaction, or other natural phenomenon

—mech·a·nis·tic \ˌmek-ə-ˈnis-tik\ adjective