Hinge

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Hinge, n. [OE. henge, heeng; akin to D. heng, LG. henge, Prov. E. hingle a small hinge; connected with hang, v., and Icel. hengja to hang. See Hang.].

•  The hook with its eye, or the joint, on which a door, gate, lid, etc., turns or swings; a flexible piece, as a strip of leather, which serves as a joint to turn on.  [1913 Webster]

  "The gate self-opened wide,
  On golden hinges turning."  [1913 Webster]
•  That on which anything turns or depends; a governing principle; a cardinal point or rule; as, this argument was the hinge on which the question turned.  [1913 Webster]
•  One of the four cardinal points, east, west, north, or south.  [1913 Webster]

  "When the moon is in the hinge at East."  [1913 Webster]

  "Nor slept the winds . . . but rushed abroad."  [1913 Webster]

Hinge joint. (a) (Anat.) See Ginglymus. (b) (Mech.) Any joint resembling a hinge, by which two pieces are connected so as to permit relative turning in one plane. -- To be off the hinges, to be in a state of disorder or irregularity; to have lost proper adjustment. Tillotson.

Hinge, v. t. 

•  To attach by, or furnish with, hinges.  [1913 Webster]
•  To bend.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Hinge, v. i. 

 To stand, depend, hang, or turn, as on a hinge; to depend chiefly for a result or decision or for force and validity; -- usually with on or upon; as, the argument hinges on this point.  I. Taylor  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Hinge, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a movable, usu. metal, joint or mechanism such as that by which a door is hung on a side post. b Biol. a natural joint performing a similar function, e.g. that of a bivalve shell.
2 a central point or principle on which everything depends.
--v.
1 intr. (foll. by on) a depend (on a principle, an event, etc.) (all hinges on his acceptance). b (of a door etc.) hang and turn (on a post etc.).
2 tr. attach with or as if with a hinge.

Idiom

stamp-hinge a small piece of gummed transparent paper used for fixing postage stamps in an album etc.

Derivative

hinged adj. hingeless adj. hingewise adv.

Etymology

ME heng etc., rel. to HANG

THESAURUS

Hinge

accrue from, ankle, arbor, arise from, articulate, articulation, axis, axle, axle bar, axle shaft, axle spindle, axle-tree, batten, batten down, be based on, be contingent on, be dependent on, be due to, be predicated on, bolt, boundary, buckle, bud from, butt, button, cervix, clasp, cleat, climacteric, clinch, clip, closure, clutch, come from, come out of, connecting link, connecting rod, connection, convergence of events, coupling, crisis, critical juncture, critical point, crossroads, crucial period, crunch, depend, depend on, derive from, descend from, distaff, dovetail, elbow, emanate from, embrace, emerge from, emergency, ensue from, exigency, extremity, flow from, follow from, fulcrum, germinate from, gimbal, gliding joint, grow from, grow out of, gudgeon, hang, hang on, hasp, hinge on, hinged joint, hingle, hip, hitch, hook, hub, interface, issue from, jam, join, joining, joint, juncture, knee, knuckle, latch, lie on, lie with, link, lock, mandrel, miter, mortise, nail, nave, neck, oarlock, originate in, pass, peg, pin, pinch, pintle, pivot, pivot joint, pole, proceed from, push, rabbet, radiant, rest, rest on, rest with, revolve on, rivet, rowlock, rub, scarf, screw, seam, sew, shoulder, skewer, snap, spindle, spring from, sprout from, stand on, staple, stem from, stick, stitch, strait, suture, swivel, symphysis, tack, tie rod, toggle, toggle joint, trunnion, turn, turn on, turn upon, turning point, union, wedge, weld, wrist, zipper

ROGET THESAURUS

Hinge

Junction

N junction, joining, joinder, union connection, conjunction, conjugation, annexion, annexation, annexment, astriction, attachment, compagination, vincture, ligation, alligation, accouplement, marriage infibulation, inosculation, symphysis, anastomosis, confluence, communication, concatenation, meeting, reunion, assemblage, coition, copulation, sex, sexual congress, sexual conjunction, sexual intercourse, love-making, joint, joining, juncture, pivot, hinge, articulation, commissure, seam, gore, gusset, suture, stitch, link, miter mortise, closeness, tightness coherence, combination, annexationist, joined, joint, conjoint, conjunct, corporate, compact, hand in hand, firm, fast, close, tight, taut, taught, secure, set, intervolved, inseparable, indissoluble, insecable, severable, jointly, in conjunction with, fast, firmly intimately, tria juncta in uno.

Connection

N connection, vinculum, link, connective, connection, junction, bond of union, copula, hyphen, intermedium, bracket, bridge, stepping-stone, isthmus, bond, tendon, tendril, fiber, cord, cordage, riband, ribbon, rope, guy, cable, line, halser, hawser, painter, moorings, wire, chain, string, fastener, fastening, tie, ligament, ligature, strap, tackle, rigging, standing rigging, running rigging, traces, harness, yoke, band ribband, bandage, brace, roller, fillet, inkle, with, withe, withy, thong, braid, girder, tiebeam, girth, girdle, cestus, garter, halter, noose, lasso, surcingle, knot, running knot, cabestro, cinch, lariat, legadero, oxreim, suspenders, pin, corking pin, nail, brad, tack, skewer, staple, corrugated fastener, clamp, U-clamp, C-clamp, cramp, cramp iron, ratchet, detent, larigo, pawl, terret, treenail, screw, button, buckle, clasp, hasp, hinge, hank, catch, latch, bolt, latchet, tag, tooth, hook, hook and eye, lock, holdfast, padlock, rivet, anchor, grappling iron, trennel, stake, post, cement, glue, gum, paste, size, wafer, solder, lute, putty, birdlime, mortar, stucco, plaster, grout, viscum, shackle, rein, prop.

Cause

N cause, origin, source, principle, element, occasioner, prime mover, primum mobile, vera causa, author, mainspring, agent, leaven, groundwork, foundation, spring, fountain, well, font, fountainhead, spring head, wellhead, fons et origo, genesis, descent, remote cause, influence, pivot, hinge, turning point, lever, crux, fulcrum, key, proximate cause, causa causans, straw that breaks the camel's back, ground, reason, reason why, why and wherefore, rationale, occasion, derivation, final cause, les dessous des cartes, undercurrents, rudiment, egg, germ, embryo, bud, root, radix radical, etymon, nucleus, seed, stem, stock, stirps, trunk, tap-root, gemmule, radicle, semen, sperm, nest, cradle, nursery, womb, nidus, birthplace, hotbed, causality, causation, origination, production, caused, causal, original, primary, primitive, primordial, aboriginal, protogenal, radical, embryonic, embryotic, in embryo, in ovo, seminal, germinal, at the bottom of, connate, having a common origin, because, behind the scenes, causa latet vis est notissima, felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.

Rotation

N rotation, revolution, spinning, gyration, turning about an axis, turning aound an axis, circulation, roll, circumrotation, circumvolution, circumgyration, volutation, circination, turbination, pirouette, convolution, verticity, whir, whirl, eddy, vortex, whirlpool, gurge, countercurrent, Maelstrom, Charybdis, Ixion, cyclone, tornado, whirlwind, dust devil, spin-out, axis, axis of rotation, swivel, pivot, pivot point, axle, spindle, pin, hinge, pole, arbor, bobbin, mandrel, axle shaft, gymbal, hub, hub of rotation, helix, helical motion, angular momentum, angular velocity, revolutions per minute, RPM, centrifugal force, surge, vertigo, dizzy round, coriolus force, carousel, merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, top, dreidel, teetotum, gyroscope, turntable, lazy suzan, screw, whirligig, rollingstone, water wheel, windmill, wheel, pulley wheel, roulette wheel, potter's wheel, pinwheel, gear, roller, flywheel, jack, caster, centrifuge, ultracentrifuge, bench centrifuge, refrigerated centrifuge, gas centrifuge, microfuge, drill, augur, oil rig, wagon wheel, wheel, tire, tyre, trochilics, whirling dervish, rotating, rotary, rotary, circumrotatory, trochilic, vertiginous, gyratory, vortical, vorticose, head over heels, round and round, like a horse in a mill.