1
: a tooth on the rim of a wheel or gear
2
: a subordinate but integral person or part
cogged; cogging
cogged; cogging
: to connect (timbers, joists, etc.) by means of mortises and tenons
: a tenon on a beam or timber
cognate
Examples of cog in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
The 6-foot-4 guard – who was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team last season and placed fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting – was a key cog in the OKC team that lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy as their primary defensive stopper.
—Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Click the Settings cog icon near your profile photo, then press Privacy & Safety > End-to-end encrypted chats.
—PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025
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Noun
Keira Walsh The cog that keeps the England machine ticking.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
The 6-foot-4 guard – who was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team last season and placed fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting – was a key cog in the OKC team that lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy as their primary defensive stopper.
—Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
Although second-year 7-foot sharpshooter Quinten Post and 6-foot-9 incumbent big Trayce Jackson-Davis are respectable enough as bench rotation cogs, neither has emerged as a traditional low post option capable of competing against the frontcourt trees of the Western Conference.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Click the Settings cog icon near your profile photo, then press Privacy & Safety > End-to-end encrypted chats.
—PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cog
Cite this Entry
“Cog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cog. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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