*mech*

{ , a. Of or pert. to aëromechanics. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. The science of equilibrium and motion of air or an aëriform fluid, including aërodynamics and aërostatics. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Hydro-, 1 + mechanics. ] That branch of physics which treats of the mechanics of liquids, or of their laws of equilibrium and of motion. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not mechanical. [ Obs. ] Cheyne. -- Im"me*chan"ic*al*ly, adv. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. mécanique mechanics. See Mechanic, a. ] 1. The art of the application of the laws of motion or force to construction. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A mechanician; an artisan; an artificer; one who practices any mechanic art; one skilled or employed in shaping and uniting materials, as wood, metal, etc., into any kind of structure, machine, or other object, requiring the use of tools, or instruments. Also, a technician who maintains or repairs machinery; as, an auto mechanic. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

An art quite lost with our mechanics. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. mécanique, L. mechanicus, Gr. mhchaniko`s, fr. mhchanh` a machine. See Machine. ] 1. Having to do with the application of the laws of motion in the art of constructing or making things; of or pertaining to mechanics; mechanical; as, the mechanic arts. “These mechanic philosophers.” Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mechanic slaves,
With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of or pertaining to a mechanic or artificer, or to the class of artisans; hence, rude; common; vulgar. [ 1913 Webster ]

To make a god, a hero, or a king
Descend to a mechanic dialect. Roscommon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sometimes he ply'd the strong, mechanic tool. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Base. [ Obs. ] Whitlock. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A mechanic. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Mechanic, a. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Pertaining to, governed by, or in accordance with, mechanics, or the laws of motion; pertaining to the quantitative relations of force and matter on a macroscopic scale, as distinguished from mental, vital, chemical, electrical, electronic, atomic etc.; as, mechanical principles; a mechanical theory; especially, using only the interactions of solid parts against each other; as mechanical brakes, in contrast to hydraulic brakes. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. Of or pertaining to a machine or to machinery or tools; made or formed by a machine or with tools; as, mechanical precision; mechanical products. [ 1913 Webster ]

We have also divers mechanical arts. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Done as if by a machine; uninfluenced by will or emotion; proceeding automatically, or by habit, without special intention or reflection; as, mechanical singing; mechanical verses; mechanical service. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Made and operated by interaction of forces without a directing intelligence; as, a mechanical universe. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Obtained by trial, by measurements, etc.; approximate; empirical. See the 2d Note under Geometric. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mechanical effect, effective power; useful work exerted, as by a machine, in a definite time. --
Mechanical engineering. See the Note under Engineering. --
Mechanical maneuvers (Mil.), the application of mechanical appliances to the mounting, dismounting, and moving of artillery. Farrow. --
Mechanical philosophy, the principles of mechanics applied to the investigation of physical phenomena. --
Mechanical powers, certain simple instruments, such as the lever and its modifications (the wheel and axle and the pulley), the inclined plane with its modifications (the screw and the wedge), which convert a small force acting through a great space into a great force acting through a small space, or vice versa, and are used separately or in combination. --
Mechanical solution (Math.), a solution of a problem by any art or contrivance not strictly geometrical, as by means of the ruler and compasses, or other instruments. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cause to become mechanical. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a mechanical manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being mechanical. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. mécanicien. See Mechanic. ] One skilled in the theory or construction of machines; a machinist. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, connected with, or dependent upon, both mechanics and chemistry; -- said especially of those sciences which treat of such phenomena as seem to depend on the laws both of mechanics and chemistry, as electricity and magnetism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. mécanique. ] That science, or branch of applied mathematics, which treats of the action of forces on bodies. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ That part of mechanics which considers the action of forces in producing rest or equilibrium is called statics; that which relates to such action in producing motion is called dynamics. The term mechanics includes the action of forces on all bodies, whether solid, liquid, or gaseous. It is sometimes, however, and formerly was often, used distinctively of solid bodies only: The mechanics of liquid bodies is called also hydrostatics, or hydrodynamics, according as the laws of rest or of motion are considered. The mechanics of gaseous bodies is called also pneumatics. The mechanics of fluids in motion, with special reference to the methods of obtaining from them useful results, constitutes hydraulics. [ 1913 Webster ]

Animal mechanics (Physiol.), that portion of physiology which has for its object the investigation of the laws of equilibrium and motion in the animal body. The most important mechanical principle is that of the lever, the bones forming the arms of the levers, the contractile muscles the power, the joints the fulcra or points of support, while the weight of the body or of the individual limbs constitutes the weight or resistance. --
Applied mechanics, the principles of abstract mechanics applied to human art; also, the practical application of the laws of matter and motion to the construction of machines and structures of all kinds. --
orbital mechanics, the principles governing the motion of bodies in orbit around other bodies under gravitational influence, such as artificial Earth satellites. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. Mechanization.
Syn. -- automation, mechanization, high technology, high-tech. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. mécanisme, L. mechanisma. See Mechanic. ] 1. The arrangement or relation of the parts of a machine; the parts of a machine, taken collectively; the arrangement or relation of the parts of anything as adapted to produce an effect; as, the mechanism of a watch; the mechanism of a sewing machine; the mechanism of a seed pod. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The series of causal relations that operate to produce an effect in any system; as, the mechanism of a chemical reaction. [ PJC ]

3. Mechanical operation or action. [ 1913 Webster ]

He acknowledges nothing besides matter and motion; so that all must be performed either by mechanism or accident. Bentley. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Kinematics) An ideal machine; a combination of movable bodies constituting a machine, but considered only with regard to relative movements. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Medicine, Biochemistry) The mechanism{ 2 } by which a pharmacologically active substance produces an effect on a living organism or in a biochemical system; as, the mechanism of action of actinomycin involves its binding to DNA. The mechanism of action is usually considered to include an identification of the specific molecular targets to which a pharmacologically active substance binds or whose biochemical action it influences; a general recognition of the broad biochemical pathways (such as DNA synthesis, protein synthesis, cholesterol synthesis) which are inhibited or affected by a substance is termed its mode of action. [ PJC ]

n. 1. A maker of machines; one skilled in mechanics. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who regards the phenomena of nature as the effects of forces merely mechanical. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act or process of mechanizing. [ PJC ]

2. Causing to be performed by machines, especially by a highly technical implementation, usually involving electronic hardware; as, the mechanization of a manufacturing process.
Syn. -- automation, mechanisation, high technology, high-tech. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mechanized p. pr. & vb. n. Mechanizing ] [ Cf. F. méchaniser. ] 1. To cause to be mechanical. Shelley. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To introduce machinery into (a process) in order to reduce human effort or improve uniformity or quality of the result; especially, To cause to be accomplished by a mechanical means which requires little or no human supervision; to automate. [ PJC ]

3. Hence: (Mil.) To equip (an armed force) with tanks or other vehicles. [ PJC ]

n. [ Gr. mhchanh` machine + -graph. ] One of a number of copies of anything multiplied mechanically. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Treating of mechanics. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Written, copied, or recorded by machinery; produced by mechanography; as, a mechanographic record of changes of temperature; mechanographic prints. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An artist who, by mechanical means, multiplies copies of works of art. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The art of mechanically multiplying copies of a writing, or any work of art. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. mhchanh` machine + the root of &unr_; work. ] That branch of science which treats of moving machines. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Mechitar, an Armenian., who founded the congregation in the early part of the eighteenth century. ] (Eccl. Hist.) One of a religious congregation of the Roman Catholic Church devoted to the improvement of Armenians. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A kind of lace made at, or originating in, Mechlin, in Belgium. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A species of jalap, of very feeble properties, said to be obtained from the root of a species of Convolvulus (Convolvulus Mechoacan); -- so called from Michoacan, in Mexico, whence it is obtained. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. not using a mechanism. Opposite of mechanical. [ Narrower terms: nonmechanistic ] [ Narrower terms: unmechanized ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Not having an aptitude to work with machinery; without mechanical skills; -- of persons.
Syn. -- unmechanical. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. not determined by a mechanical process; partly resulting from a creative process. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. Pertaining to, or designating, any photographic process in which a printing surface is obtained without the intervention of hand engraving. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an electronically controlled mechanical or hydraulic device permitting a large action or strong forces to be controlled by a small electrical signal. [ PJC ]

a. [ Gr. th^le far + mechanic. ] Designating, or pert. to, any device for operating mechanisms at a distance. -- Tel`e*mech"a*nism n. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + mechanize. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To undo the mechanism of; to unmake; as, to unmechanize a structure. [ Obs. ] Sterne. [ 1913 Webster ]