| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
mechanism (ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəm) ![]() | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a system or structure of moving parts that performs some function, esp in a machine |
| 2. | something resembling a machine in the arrangement and working of its parts: the mechanism of the ear |
| 3. | any form of mechanical device or any part of such a device |
| 4. | a process or technique, esp of execution: the mechanism of novel writing |
| 5. | philosophy |
| a. the doctrine that human action can be explained in purely physical terms, whether mechanical or biological | |
| b. the explanation of phenomena in causal rather than teleological or essentialist terms | |
| c. the view that the task of science is to seek such explanations | |
| d. dynamism Compare vitalism strict determinism | |
| 6. | psychoanal |
| a. the ways in which psychological forces interact and operate | |
| b. a structure having an influence on the behaviour of a person, such as a defence mechanism | |
mechanism mech·a·nism (měk'ə-nĭz'əm)
n.
A machine or mechanical appliance.
The arrangement of connected parts in a machine.
A system of parts that operate or interact like those of a machine.
An instrument or a process by which something is done or comes into being.
The involuntary and consistent response of an organism to a given stimulus.
A usually unconscious mental and emotional pattern that dominates behavior in a given situation or environment.
The sequence of steps in a chemical reaction.
The philosophical doctrine that all natural phenomena are explicable by material causes and mechanical principles.