hinge on
noun
1.
a jointed device or flexible piece on which a door, gate, shutter, lid, or other attached part turns, swings, or moves.
2.
a natural anatomical joint at which motion occurs around a transverse axis, as that of the knee or a bivalve shell.
3.
that on which something is based or depends; pivotal consideration or factor.
4.
Also called mount. Philately. a gummed sticker for affixing a stamp to a page of an album, so folded as to form a hinge, allowing the stamp to be raised to reveal the text beneath.
verb (used without object)
5.
to be dependent or contingent on, or as if on, a hinge (usually followed by on or upon ): Everything hinges on his decision.
00:10
Hinge on
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
verb (used with object)
6.
to furnish with or attach by a hinge or hinges.
7.
to attach as if by a hinge.
8.
to make or consider as dependent upon; predicate: He hinged his action on future sales.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English henge; cognate with Low German heng(e), Middle Dutch henge hinge; akin to hang
1250–1300; Middle English henge; cognate with Low German heng(e), Middle Dutch henge hinge; akin to hang
Related forms
hinge·less, adjective
hinge·like, adjective
re·hinge, verb (used with object), re·hinged, re·hing·ing.
well-hinged, adjective
Synonyms
5. rest, swing, pivot, depend.
5. rest, swing, pivot, depend.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To hinge on
Collins
World English Dictionary
hinge (hɪndʒ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a device for holding together two parts such that one can swing relative to the other, typically having two interlocking metal leaves held by a pin about which they pivot |
| 2. | anatomy Technical name: ginglymus a type of joint, such as the knee joint, that moves only backwards and forwards; a joint that functions in only one plane |
| 3. | a similar structure in invertebrate animals, such as the joint between the two halves of a bivalve shell |
| 4. | something on which events, opinions, etc, turn |
| 5. | philately Also called: mount a small thin transparent strip of gummed paper for affixing a stamp to a page |
| —vb | |
| 6. | (tr) to attach or fit a hinge to (something) |
| 7. | (intr; |
| 8. | (intr) to hang or turn on or as if on a hinge |
| [C13: probably of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch henge; see | |
| hinged | |
| —adj | |
| 'hingeless | |
| —adj | |
| 'hingelike | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
hinge
c.1300, "the axis of the earth;" late 14c. as "movable joint of a gate or door," not found in O.E., cognate with M.Du. henghe "hook, handle," M.L.G. henge "hinge;" all derived from the root of the verb hang on notion of the thing from which a door hangs.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
hinge (hĭnj)
n.
A jointed or flexible device that allows the turning or pivoting of a part, such as a door or lid, on a stationary frame.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Easton
Bible Dictionary
Hinge definition
(Heb. tsir), that on which a door revolves. "Doors in the East turn rather on pivots than on what we term hinges. In Syria, and especially in the Hauran, there are many ancient doors, consisting of stone slabs with pivots carved out of the same piece inserted in sockets above and below, and fixed during the building of the house" (Prov. 26:14).
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
hinge on
Also, hinge upon. Depend or be contingent on, as in This plan hinges on her approval. This expression employs the verb hinge in the sense of "to hang," as a door would hang on a hinge, a usage dating from the early 1700s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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