HINGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does hinge mean? 

• HINGE (noun)
  The noun HINGE has 2 senses:

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

  Familiarity information: HINGE used as a noun is rare.

• HINGE (verb)
  The verb HINGE has 1 sense:

1. attach with a hinge

  Familiarity information: HINGE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HINGE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

flexible joint; hinge

Hypernyms ("hinge" is a kind of...):

joint (junction by which parts or objects are joined together)

Meronyms (parts of "hinge"):

pintle (a pin or bolt forming the pivot of a hinge)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hinge"):

butt hinge (a hinge mortised flush into the edge of the door and jamb)

joint hinge; strap hinge (a hinge with two long straps; one strap is fastened to the surface of a moving part (e.g., a door or lid) and the other is fastened to the adjacent stationary frame)

T hinge; tee hinge (a hinge that looks like the letter T when it is opened; similar to a strap hinge except that one strap has been replaced by half of a butt hinge that can be mortised flush into the stationary frame)

Holonyms ("hinge" is a part of...):

bi-fold door (an interior door)

car door (the door of a car)

exterior door; outside door (a doorway that allows entrance to or exit from a building)

French door (a light door with transparent or glazed panels extending the full length)

gate (a movable barrier in a fence or wall)

swing door; swinging door (a door that swings on a double hinge; opens in either direction)

Derivation:

hinge (attach with a hinge)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A circumstance upon which subsequent events depend

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

his absence is the hinge of our plan

Hypernyms ("hinge" is a kind of...):

circumstance (a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity)

• HINGE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they hinge    ... he / she / it hinges   
Past simple: hinged   
Past participle: hinged   
-ing form: hinging   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Attach with a hinge

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "hinge" is one way to...):

attach (cause to be attached)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

hinge (a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other)

 Context examples 

A ginglymoid (hinge) synovial joint between the phalanges of the second digit of the hand or foot.

(Interphalangeal Joint 2, NCI Thesaurus)

A ginglymoid (hinge) synovial joint within the second digit of the foot connecting the proximal and middle phalanges.

(Interphalangeal Joint 2, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

A ginglymoid (hinge) synovial joint between the phalanges of the third digit of the hand or foot.

(Interphalangeal Joint 3, NCI Thesaurus)

A ginglymoid (hinge) synovial joint within the third digit of the foot connecting the proximal and middle phalanges.

(Interphalangeal Joint 3, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

A ginglymoid (hinge) synovial joint within the first digit of the hand or foot connecting the proximal and distal phalanges.

(Interphalangeal Joint 1, NCI Thesaurus)

Hinge joints between the phalanges of the hand or foot.

(Interphalangeal Joint, NCI Thesaurus)

However, that production benefit hinged on what type of landscapes the bees were flying in from beyond the orchard.

(Diverse Bee Communities Best for Apple Orchards, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

The skin of the hinge joint that is located between the forearm and upper arm.

(Elbow Skin, NCI Thesaurus)

Again a whitish object gleamed before me: it was a gate—a wicket; it moved on its hinges as I touched it.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

NRs are comprised of an amino-terminal activation function domain AF-1, the DNA-binding domain, a hinge region, and a carboxy-terminal ligand-binding domain containing a second activation function, AF-2.

(Gene Expression Regulation by Vitamin D Receptor Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)