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hinge

/ˈhɪnd͡ʒ/ noun

In Latin: cardō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hinge at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other.
  2. A circumstance upon which subsequent events depend.
    his absence is the hinge of our plan

verb

  1. Attach with a hinge.

Origin

From Middle English henge (“hinge”), from Old English *henġ or *henġe (“hinge”), from Proto-West Germanic *hangiju or *hangī; compare Old English *henġe- in henġeclif (“overhanging cliff”), Old English henġen (“hanging; that upon which a thing is hung”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)