1. plural of cog; toothed wheels or projections on wheels that mesh with other gears to transmit motion
2. people regarded as unimportant parts of a large organization or system
Usage: figurative

Examples

• The machine stopped working when several cogs broke.
• The watch’s tiny cogs moved precisely to keep accurate time.
• Oil the cogs regularly to prevent rust and wear.
• The bicycle’s cogs shifted smoothly as she pedaled uphill.
• Workers felt like mere cogs in the corporate machine.
• Each department was just cogs in the university’s vast system.