cog

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈkäg 

1

: a tooth on the rim of a wheel or gear

2

: a subordinate but integral person or part

cogged

ˈkägd 

adjective

cog

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verb (1)

cogged; cogging

intransitive verb

1

obsolete : to cheat in throwing dice

2

obsolete : deceive

3

obsolete : to use venal flattery

transitive verb

1

: to direct the fall of (dice) fraudulently

2

obsolete : wheedle

cog

3 of 5

verb (2)

cogged; cogging

transitive verb

: to connect (timbers, joists, etc.) by means of mortises and tenons

cog

4 of 5

noun (2)

: a tenon on a beam or timber

cog

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abbreviation

cognate

Examples of cog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Likewise, the gearbox swaps cogs smoothly and there’s a neat brake regen function which can be enabled or disabled via the gear selector. —Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Thrustmaster says its Direct Axial Drive technology nearly eliminates cogging while the new wheel base delivers five newton-meters of constant torque to increase force feedback effects and responsiveness. —Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 11 Oct. 2024

Noun

The 31-year-old journeyman is on his sixth team in his ninth-year career, but he's been a cog in the Clippers' rotation through two playoff games, with 31 minutes in Game 1 and 29 more in Game 2. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025

Imposter syndrome became a constant theme throughout their journey, especially for Sarah Maldonado, who transitioned from being a cog in the corporate machine to leading a team. —Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English cogge, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish kugge cog

Verb (1)

obsolete cog a trick

Verb (2)

probably alteration of cock to cog

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1532, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Verb (2)

1823, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1830, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cog

• cog railway

Rhymes for cog

• blog
• bog
• clog
• dog
• flog
• fog
• frog
• grog
• hog
• jog
• log
• og

Kids Definition

cog

noun

ˈkäg

1

: a tooth on the rim of a wheel adjusted to fit notches in another wheel or bar and to give or receive motion

2

: a person whose job is of low rank but still important